Beyond 6 Seconds: Recent Episodes
Carolyn Kiel
First impressions can take as little as 6 seconds to make. But in these fleeting moments, whose amazing stories don’t we get to hear?
That’s where the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast comes in! Join me, Carolyn Kiel, as I uncover stories of life and creativity, triumph and struggle, with a focus on neurodiversity. I feature neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creators, advocates & more whose stories shatter misconceptions, break stigma and showcase the vibrance and diversity of this community.
Content warning: Death of a pet, mentions of institutionalization and electroconvulsive treatment
Beatrice Leong is a Malaysian entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker. After a lifetime of mental health challenges and misdiagnoses, she was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 35, bringing clarity to her lifelong struggles.
Beatrice founded AIDA (Autism Inclusiveness Direct Action Group), an autistic-led advocacy group based in Asia that promotes inclusion and self-representation of the autistic community. She actively participates in shaping policies to improve the lives of autistic individuals.
During this episode, you will hear Beatrice talk about:
- Filming a short commercial for Chinese New Year based on her struggles growing up as an autistic girl, and how girls and women from all backgrounds related to her story
- What her life was like before she was diagnosed with autism
- Struggling to find accurate information and support resources for autistic women in Malaysia, and how this inspired her advocacy work and activism
- The power of bravely sharing your own story – and how she’s sharing her candid personal story in her feature film, The Myth of Monsters
Follow Beatrice on Instagram and check out her films:
- RHB CHINESE NEW YEAR 2024: ACCEPTANCE (an autism awareness-themed commercial commissioned by RHB Banking Group)
- The Myth of Monsters (Beatrice’s feature film under development)
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Diagnosed with autism at age 2, Adin Boyer grew up struggling with being bullied, making friends and accepting himself. He finally began to flourish while attending a performing arts middle and high school, when he faced less bullying and leaned into his musical talent and training in classical piano, choir, opera and music theory.
Adin gained widespread international notoriety as a contestant on season 21 of American Idol, where he advanced to the top 55. Now Adin performs locally and on tour, with solo and full-band indie rock performances, and speaks to audiences about autism acceptance, neurodiversity affirmation and anti-bullying advocacy.
During this episode, Adin talks about:
- His multi-year struggle to accept himself after being told about his autism diagnosis at age 12
- Being bullied and misunderstood in elementary school, and how attending a performing arts middle and high school helped his personal growth and friendships
- Getting involved in music at a very young age and how his biggest musical inspiration (Coldplay) shaped his songwriting
- Being cast for American Idol and how his unique experience on the show influenced him as a performer and advocate
- The system he developed to manage his energy and routine when he is on tour
- How his anti-bullying talks resonate with kids across the United States
(Note: During this episode we use person-first language like "has autism" and “on the spectrum” when discussing Adin’s experience, because this is how Adin prefers to describe himself.)
Learn more about Adin, his music and his autism advocacy on his website AdinBoyer.com, on Instagram @adinboyer, on his BandsInTown profile for his upcoming shows performances, and by email: adinboyer [at] gmail.com.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
In this year-end solo episode, I celebrate some big milestones that Beyond 6 Seconds achieved in 2024. I also share my views on how major politicized social issues impact the disability community, some actions we can take to advocate for our rights (whether you're disabled or not), and how we can support ourselves and our communities as we head into 2025.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript, which also contains links to some of the other podcasts and resources I mention in this episode.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Content warning: This episode discusses forced sterilization / removal of reproductive rights.
Shéri Brynard is the only person with Down syndrome in South Africa with a tertiary education diploma in Educare. She achieved this without any special assistance or amendments made to the coursework, and despite the fact that her lectures and study material were only provided in English, which is her second language. She is currently a full-time qualified teacher’s assistant at a Primary School for learners with special educational needs and presents motivational speeches to advocate for the rights of people with Down syndrome, all over the world.
Shéri is an international ambassador for all people with Down syndrome, appointed by Down syndrome international (DSi). She represents people with Down syndrome in South Africa at the DSi meetings, as well as at many other international meetings, and at the United Nations, focusing on disability. Shéri believes that all people can choose to make the best of their circumstances, and she is a living example of this choice.
Through her own determination and her family’s support, Sheri has been overcoming prejudice and stigma for her entire life to achieve her dreams. Shéri shares her experiences during this episode, including: ● The barriers she faced to getting her education and working in South Africa, and how her family helped her challenge and overcome people’s bias and assumptions about her ● What inspired her to become a teacher ● What was it like completing her tertiary education in her second language, without any special accommodations from the school ● How she became an advocate who speaks on disability rights
To find out more about Shéri and her work, visit her website at SheriBrynard.co.za, follow her on Facebook or email her mother at Brynard.s @ gmail.com .
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Content warning: This episode discusses suicidality, paranoia, hallucinations and delusions, and mentions drug use and homelessness.
Michelle Hammer is a schizophrenia activist who spends her time passionately fighting stigma. She is a New York City native who is featured in the WebMD documentary “Voices,” which was nominated for a Tribeca X Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Michelle was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 22 after a misdiagnosis of bipolar at age 18. At 27, Michelle decided to use her artistic talents and fearless personality to do something that could benefit the mental health community. In May 2015, she founded a mental health-focused clothing brand called Schizophrenic.NYC with the mission of reducing stigma by starting conversations about mental health.
Michelle has also been featured in many publications such as Mashable, The Daily Mail, Stylist, and Buzzfeed, and has also been featured on TV networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS.
During this episode, you will hear Michelle talk about:
- Experiencing her first symptoms of schizophrenia in high school and college
- What it’s like for her to experience hallucinations and delusions
- What inspired her to start her clothing brand, Schizophrenic.NYC
- People’s reactions to her designs and pop-up events in New York City
- Challenging stereotypes and misconceptions about schizophrenia
Find out more about Michelle on her clothing brand’s website Schizophrenic.NYC and on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
CW: Mentions of suicidality.
In the third grade, LeDerick Horne was labeled as “neurologically impaired” – a label that followed him through his schooling until he was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia. Today, LeDerick is a dynamic spoken-word poet, a respected author, and a passionate advocate for people with disabilities. He has performed at prestigious venues such as the White House and the United Nations. His workshops, speeches and poetry open doors to discussions on inclusive education, equal opportunity, systemic change, and hope for individuals with disabilities.
During this episode, LeDerick talks about:
- The challenges he faced in K-12 special education, before being diagnosed as dyslexic
- What inspired him to go to college – and how the meaningful support and inclusive education he got there helped him thrive as a student
- Discovering his passion for poetry, which led to his career as a spoken-word poet and author
- His work as a speaker and trainer on the topics of inclusive education and the intersections of education, disability and race
- Co-hosting the Black and Dyslexic podcast
Stay tuned to the end of this episode to hear LeDerick read two of his poems!
Find out more about LeDerick at his website LeDerick.com, find his social media and more on his LinkTree, and learn about his new video course "6 Steps to Empowering Young People with Disabilities."
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Jack Pabich is a Quality Assurance Support Analyst who found his current job through an autism employment program run by CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. He is responsible for processing requests of potential conflicts of interest, ensuring parties are correctly assigned to the location within the database, and rearranging information to improve database efficiency. Jack’s attention to detail is his biggest strength and he uses it to proactively streamline tasks. In his free time, he enjoys being active with various sporting activities and spending time with friends.
During this episode, you will hear Jack talk about:
- How the autism employment program helped him find work after college
- The work he does at his current employer, and how it leverages his strengths and helps him learn new things and grow as a leader
- His working relationships with his coworkers and managers
- The type of work he wants to do in the future
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Amee is a dedicated health care provider known for her expertise and compassionate care. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a passionate mental health advocate and openly shares her personal journey living with epilepsy on her Instagram @behindthebindis. She is a powerful voice for those who feel they cannot speak up for themselves, working to raise awareness and foster understanding about mental health and invisible illnesses in the South Asian community and beyond.
During this episode, you will hear Amee talk about:
- What was it like growing up with epilepsy, but not really talking about it
- How her experience with epilepsy changed from childhood to adulthood
- The hospital stay that prompted her to disclose her epilepsy to her closest friends
- What inspired her to discuss her epilepsy publicly on her social media – and the meaning of “behind the bindis”
Follow Amee on Instagram @behindthebindis to learn more about her epilepsy advocacy.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Dr. Kana Grace is a research psychologist, advocate, Specialist Mentor, and educator, specializing in the mental and physical health of neurodivergent people. Currently, Kana is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE) at the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL), where she completed her PhD.
Kana has lived experiences with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette syndrome, dyspraxia, hypermobility Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
She founded Valtameri (which means ocean in Finnish) to advocate for and support neurodivergent people and their families, based in Okinawa, Japan. Through Valtameri, she offers one-to-one support for neurodivergent people of all ages. She also gives talks and public lectures to deepen the understanding of neurodivergence in Okinawa Japan, and all over the world.
Fluent in both English and Japanese, Kana bridges cultures in her extensive work.
During this episode, you will hear Kana talk about:
- How she discovered she is neurodivergent while at University
- What her life was like before she was diagnosed
- Why she decided to focus her PhD on the study of loneliness in autistic adults
- The importance of involving autistic researchers in autism research
- Her experience working in academia
- Her observations about how autism and neurodivergence is viewed in Japan
- The goals she wants to achieve with her research
Find out more about Kana and her work on her Linktree.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
CW: Mentions of suicide and experiences with the criminal justice system as it relates to FASD.
Patti Kasper is a Neurobehavioral Coach and Trainer who provides staff development training and coaching services to support people affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). With over thirty years of experience in the fields of addiction, mental health, and child welfare, Patti draws on her personal experience with FASD, her degrees in social work and psychology, and her training as a Certified Facilitator of FASCETS Neurobehavioral Model.
Patti hosts a weekly podcast called Living with FASD. The second edition of her book, “Sip by Sip: Candid Conversations with People Diagnosed as Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD),” was recently released with additional interviews and updated research.
During this episode, Patti talks about: ● What FASD is, and why it’s more common than most people realize ● How she discovered in her 50s that she has FASD ● Some of the struggles that people with FASD may experience ● How she supports families and individuals impacted by FASD
Find links to Patti’s website, book, podcast and more.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
In this episode, I'm sharing an interview from the podcast Art Heals All Wounds, where host Pam Uzzell talks with her daughter Allegra about Celebrating Neurodiversity, Beauty, and Belonging. I also added a short intro to this episode where I share some thoughts on belonging and how I've been looking for and finding community.
Check out the Art Heals All Wounds podcast for other stories about how art is a catalyst for healing and change.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Ian Otto is a Senior Producer with experience in animation, motion design, immersive, visual effects (VFX) and post production. After working in Berlin for many years, Ian now lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he is Senior Producer with WOODBLOCK, an animation studio for Design, Film and Immersive content. Recently, Ian began writing and speaking publicly about his experience as a person with Tourette syndrome who works in the creative industry.
During this episode, you will hear Ian talk about:
- Growing up with Tourette’s in the 1990s
- What led him to work in the creative industry
- Working in a client-facing job as someone who has Tourette’s
- How he built his confidence at work
- What has (and hasn’t) helped him manage his tics
Connect with Ian on Instagram or through email: ian [at] woodblock [dot] tv
Read Ian's article on Medium about working in the creative industry with Tourette’s
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations. These episodes are for informational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Mrinal Gokhale is an author, speaker and creative consultant based in Wisconsin. She has collaborated with organizations and media outlets such as Brown Girl Magazine, ADDitude Magazine, Medical College of Wisconsin, and more. Her most recent book is titled “Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories.”
During this episode, Mrinal talks about:
- What inspired her to write about mental health in South Asian communities
- How she found people to interview for her book
- Common mental health themes that she noticed in her interviews
- How her own mental health journey inspired her writing and advocacy
Find out more about Mrinal and her writing on her LinkTree page.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
CW: Mentions of suicidality
Crystals Multifaceted is the founder of Multifaceted Journeys, where they use their lived experience of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) / plurality and healing with complex trauma and dissociation, to bring education to providers and facilitate groups for plurals. Crystals has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology.
They serve as a moderator on The Refractory, a think tank for clinicians, researchers, peer support workers and coaches with lived experience of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD), and Plurality. They have been a keynote speaker for the Plural Positivity World Conference.
Crystals’ podcast and Substack blog, both titled “Therapist Interrupted,” highlight stories related to getting through life’s interruptions, living with trauma and dissociation, and other topics related to multiplicity.
During this episode, you will hear Crystals talk about:
- How they discovered they have DID
- What it feels like for them to interact with the world as a DID system
- Where they have found support for their healing journey
- What inspired them to start Multifaceted Journeys, and the types of services they’ve created for the Plural community
- The biggest misconceptions about DID
Connect with Crystals on their website, Substack, Patreon or through email at crystalsmultifaceted [at] protonmail [dot] com .
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Kala Allen Omeiza is a prolific author at the intersection of race, culture, and autism. Her latest book, "Autistic and Black: Our Experiences of Growth, Progress, and Empowerment," has received widespread acclaim for its in-depth exploration of the unique challenges and triumphs faced by autistic individuals of minority backgrounds. She has also worked on various research projects on neurodiversity and mental health at Harvard, Duke, Harvard Medical, and as a US Fulbright scholar in Nigeria. She is a graduate of Miami University and a masters graduate of Psychological Research from the University of Oxford.
During this episode, Kala discusses:
- What inspired her to write “Autistic and Black” and share the experiences of Black autistic people across the African diaspora
- How she uses the Kwanzaa principle of Ujima to bring the stories in the book together
- Her experience interviewing nonspeaking autistic individuals
- Writing about her own life experiences as a Black autistic woman
To find out more about Kala and her work, you can visit her website, subscribe to her newsletter, and buy her book "Autistic and Black: Our Experiences of Growth, Progress, and Empowerment".
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Aashna Parikh is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultant and inclusive marketing specialist based in India. Living with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities, she has consulted and collaborated with Forbes-listed and Fortune 500 companies across diverse sectors such as Fintech, Sustainability, Agriculture, and Technology. A strong advocate for neurodiversity, disability, and gender, she examines these issues through an intersectional lens.
During this episode, you will hear Aashna talk about:
- What was it like growing up and going to school with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities
- Living with disabilities in a world where people tell her she “doesn’t look disabled”
- The type of work that she does as a DEI consultant
- Her thoughts on DEI through an intersectional lens
- How DEI is addressed in different countries
- Her advice for requesting accommodations at work and in job interviews
Connect with Aashna on LinkedIn or via email at aashnacparikh at gmail.com .
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Martina Kuzenski is a late-diagnosed autistic woman who received her autism diagnosis at age 28 near the end of her Master’s degree program. She is an IT Specialist for the U.S. federal government. She shares her experiences as a Black autistic woman in tech as a mentor for the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program and as a co-author of the best-selling book “Ladies in Tech: Sharing Expertise for a Successful Career”.
During this episode, Martina talks about:
- Discovering that she is autistic in her late twenties, and what her life was like growing up
- How she got into a tech career
- Her experience of not being “seen” in the tech industry as a Black autistic woman
- The importance of mentorship, and why she decided to become a P-TECH program mentor
- The challenges she has faced when trying to find leadership programs for neurodivergent people
- Why she doesn’t feel “autistic enough” in autistic spaces, and the flaws she sees in the neurodiversity movement
Connect with Martina on LinkedIn and read her writing on Diary of Self (Martina's blog posts about neurodiversity) and her book "Ladies in Tech: Sharing Expertise for a Successful Career."
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Joshua Hoskins is a 25 year old man with Down syndrome who lives in Tamworth, England with his parents. He loves his family and friends, and his hobbies are horse riding, boxing, musicals, supporting Newcastle United Football team, going out on trips and going on holiday.
Josh has two jobs: he loves them both and has great buddies at each place. Josh’s Mum Debbie helps him create posts on LinkedIn every week, because Josh wants to help other people with Down syndrome to get a job if they want to.
During this episode, you will hear Josh and Debbie talk about:
- How he had found his job at Marshall Fleet Services with WorkFit, and how the Down's Syndrome Association in the UK prepared him for the role
- What he does in his role with Marshall Fleet Solutions, and what he likes the most about it
- How LinkedIn helped him find his second job at Movianto
- What inspired him to write about his life and work on LinkedIn
- How work has helped him grow as a person, build positive relationships with his coworkers, and support his local community
- Why employers should consider hiring people with Down syndrome, and how employers can include them in their companies
Follow Joshua Hoskins on LinkedIn to read his weekly posts.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Grace Liu is an autistic author, blogger, speaker and pet portrait artist based in the Midlands of England. Grace's book, “Approaching Autistic Adulthood: The Road Less Travelled,” was published in October 2021. She blogs about autism, neurodiversity, diversity and inclusion, as well as her life as a biracial (British/Taiwanese) autistic gay woman, and has delivered multiple talks about autism and diversity. Grace has received many commissions for her pet portrait drawings, especially over the past year. She is a dedicated owner to four cats, having had an autistic interest in cats from a very young age!
During this episode, you will hear Grace talk about:
- Her early life after moving from Taiwan to the UK at the age of four, and how she and her family discovered that she is autistic
- How she got started with her long-running blog back in 2013
- Her experiences with racism, and with “coming out” as gay and autistic
- Becoming an author and public speaker
Find out more about Grace and her work at the links below:
- Book: artistic-autistic.co.uk/approaching-autistic-adulthood
- Blog: unwrittengrace.wordpress.com
- Art: artistic-autistic.co.uk/pet-portraits
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Content note: This episode mentions thoughts about suicide and self harm.
Shayonee Dasgupta is a Mumbai-based freelance writer and editor who initially pursued a career in law, working with corporate law firms in India. She found out she's autistic and has ADHD in her 30s, prompting a transformative journey of self-discovery and learning to navigate life anew.
During this episode, you will hear Shayonee talk about:
- What it was like growing up before her diagnosis
- How the challenges she faced working as a lawyer led to her burnout
- The struggle she faced to get the right mental healthcare and support after her burnout
- How she received her autism and ADHD diagnosis
- Her decision to start a new career as a freelance writer
- Handling expectations from both her extended family and Indian society
- How she defines success in her own way
To find out more about Shayonee and her work, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.
Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Nick Heaney is a resident artist and co-founder of Artnova Gallery in Chatham, Massachusetts. Nick has always found art to be his most authentic way of connecting with the world around him. He was diagnosed with dyslexia during elementary school. He struggled with written language, but found a connection through art. Nick went on to study graphic design and fine art, earning a BFA in graphic design from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
At the age of 26, Nick came out as gay to his friends and family. However, he still felt a sense of disconnect with the people around him, which led to a deeper struggle with his mental health. At the age of 28, Nick sought an autism evaluation which resulted in diagnoses of both autism and ADHD.
During this episode, you will hear Nick talk about:
- What was it like growing up with dyslexia
- His early artistic talents at a young age
- What inspires his artwork today
- His experience of coming out as gay to his family, discovering his autism and ADHD, and finding supportive communities
- The story behind how he co-founded his art gallery
Find out more about Nick and his work on his Instagram @nickheaneyart and on Artnova Gallery's website and Instagram.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
David Egan is a leader and advocate who promotes the causes of people with disabilities. He is the first person with Down Syndrome to serve as a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy fellow on Capitol Hill and with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). As a Special Olympics athlete and International Global Messenger, David has traveled extensively and speaks to diverse audiences, including the U.S. Senate, United Nations, and various universities, nonprofit and for-profit companies.
David has also received many awards throughout his career. He was honored by NDSS for his legacy, presented with the American Association for Intellectual Disabilities Media Award, and received the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s highest honor: the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award. As the author of the book “More Alike Than Different: My Life with Down Syndrome,” he inspires his audiences to see our shared humanity and focus on abilities and possibilities rather than limitations.
During this episode, you will hear David talk about:
- Growing up with Down Syndrome, and his biggest dreams as a child
- How he learned to accept his disability
- What he enjoyed about working at Booz Allen Hamilton, CBRE, and SourceAmerica
- His experience as a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy fellow
- How he became a disability advocate
- The impact of Special Olympics on his life
To learn more about David and his work, visit his website at DavidEganAdvocacy.com and buy his book, “More Alike Than Different: My Life with Down Syndrome.”
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Katie York (aka The Distracted Autistic) is a late-diagnosed Autistic who also has ADHD. They are currently program coordinator at the Community College of Baltimore County in Baltimore, Maryland. Katie is also an advocate and community organizer. In 2022, they founded Harford County Neurodivergents to build a network for neurodivergent adults & provide neurodiversity-affirming resources and education. Katie is a member of Harford County Public Schools Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee and a proud board member of Upper Chesapeake Bay Pride.
During this episode, you will hear Katie talk about:
- How they discovered their neurodivergence later in life
- Creating the Harford County Neurodivergents group, and the local peer support and community it provides
- What it means to be “neurodiversity-affirming,” and how that can be important for neurodivergent people
- The impact that Harford County Neurodivergents has had on their members so far
- What inspired them to get into local politics and advocacy, and their advice for people who want to become more involved in their communities
Learn more about Katie on their website at TheDistractedAutistic.com and on Facebook.
If you want to join the Neurodivergent Podcasters Discord group, email beyond6seconds at gmail.com to receive an invite.
Join the Autistic Corporate Professionals group on LinkedIn.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Born and raised in Costa Rica, Claudia Scott was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in her early teens. Now she lives in the U.S., where she is the Capital Access Manager for Kiva Northwest Arkansas (NWA) at Startup Junkie and an advocate for Tourette's education and support. Claudia uses her experiences to support people with Tourette's, especially in Spanish-speaking communities.
During this episode, Claudia talks about:
- How she discovered she had Tourette’s when she was growing up in Costa Rica
- Her experience of how Tourette’s is viewed by the general public in Costa Rica and the United States
- How her Tourette’s has changed over the course of her life, and how she managed through those changes
- The support she provides to the Hispanic Tourette’s community, including a Tourette’s support group for Spanish speakers
Learn more about Claudia at her travel blog The Tourette Traveler and follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Jenn Grindeland has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. She is also a multiple brain injury survivor. With this background, she teaches leadership skills designed to support equity and inclusion for employees with non-apparent, invisible disabilities.
During this episode, Jenn talks about:
- How her life changed when she had her first traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Why inadequate job accommodations during her TBI recovery hurt her relationships at work
- How she teaches teams to better support employees who are neurodivergent and/or have non-apparent disabilities
- Why she thinks many people are scared to advocate for themselves in the workplace
- Advice for managers who want to support the people with disabilities on their teams
Learn more about Jenn and her work on her website TheWorkingWell.us and on LinkedIn.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Miles Levin is a filmmaker and public speaker living with epilepsy. His short film “Under the Lights” starring Pearce Joza and Alyssa Jirrels has become a beacon for epilepsy representation in movies. The film has inspired people to create daily fan art, learn more about epilepsy and open up about their disabilities. He is now making the full length film of Under the Lights, in an effort to create the single biggest epilepsy awareness campaign in history.
During this episode, you will hear Miles talk about:
- How his life experience with epilepsy inspired Under the Lights
- The powerful impact that Under the Lights is having on audiences
- His fundraising campaign to make the full-length film of Under the Lights (and how you can support the campaign!)
Watch the short film of Under the Lights.
Support the fundraiser for the full-length Under the Lights movie (ends on January 30!)
Follow Under the Lights on social media: @underthelightsfilm on Instagram @underthelightsfilm on Facebook @underthelightsfilm1 on TikTok
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Swarit Gopalan is a 12-year old autistic nonspeaker who uses a letterboard to spell and a keyboard to type to communicate. He lives with his family in Florida and goes to Invictus Academy for school. Swarit is a talented writer and poet who shares his writing on Facebook and Instagram. He is also a passionate advocate for other nonspeaking people.
During this episode, Swarit talks about:
- Learning to communicate using a letterboard and keyboard
- What inspired him to start writing about his life experiences on social media
- How he defines dysregulation and how it affects his life
- Going to school as a nonspeaking student
- The joy of meeting other nonspeaking people and their families
- How people can be good friends and allies to nonspeaking people
Follow Swarit on social media to read his writing:
- Facebook: Swarit Gopalan - My truisms unfiltered
- Instagram: @swarit_my_truisms_unfiltered
Learn more about resources for nonspeakers mentioned in this episode:
- Motormorphosis Conference for Nonspeakers
- Directory of Nonspeaker Blogs and Pages (from Neuroclastic)
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
In this year-end episode for 2023, host Carolyn Kiel reflects on the big milestones that Beyond 6 Seconds achieved in 2023 and some of her goals for the show in 2024.
Below are links to the resources mentioned in this episode.
How you can support Beyond 6 Seconds!
- Follow and share the podcast
- Visit my website at beyond6seconds.net
- Play episodes in your favorite podcast app
- Watch episodes on YouTube
- Social media:
- Subscribe to my email newsletter to get new episodes delivered to your inbox
- Support this podcast with a donation or advertisement
- Let me know by email what this podcast means to you: beyond6seconds(at)gmail.com
Some of the advocacy & publicity I’ve done in 2023:
- Disability Pride Month (July 2023):
- Curated a list of podcast episodes about disability pride and history for the Sounds Like Impact newsletter (also shared on LinkedIn)
- Wrote an article for Women Who Podcast Magazine about how to make your podcast more accessible
- Started a LinkedIn group for autistic corporate professionals to connect and share resources
- My guest appearances on other neurodiversity and mental health podcasts:
- Think Inclusive
- Ignorance Was Bliss
- Be A Better Ally
- The Neurodiversity Podcast
- Podcast promo swaps:
- Psychocinematic
- The Other Autism
- Differently Brained
- Signal Awards (and other recognition) for Beyond 6 Seconds
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Aditi Gangrade is a film director and writer based in India. She is autistic and has ADHD and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). She is the co-founder of Much Much Spectrum, an inclusive storytelling content and insights wing of Much Much Media, a Mumbai-based boutique studio that has worked with brands like Netflix, Instagram, Google and Coca-Cola Foundation. Through Much Much Spectrum, Aditi is working to mainstream stories and representation of mental health, neurodiversity, and disability.
During this episode, Aditi talks about:
- How she discovered that she is neurodivergent
- What her life was like growing up as an autistic girl with ADHD in India
- How she got involved with Much Much Media and Much Much Spectrum
- The importance and impact of sharing intersectional neurodivergent experiences in an Indian context
- How Much Much Spectrum fosters community among neurodivergent people from all around the world
Learn more about Aditi and her work at MuchMuchMedia.com, by emailing partnerships (at) muchmuchmedia.com, or on YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Bayley Garnham is a personal trainer from Auckland, New Zealand. As a teenager, Bayley spent 7 years competing in Olympic Weightlifting at a national level. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation, with a major in Sport and Exercise Science. Bayley was diagnosed with dyspraxia and dysgraphia at the age of 12, and he’s passionate about promoting the benefits that physical activity brings for neurodivergent people.
During this episode, you will hear Bayley talk about:
- Discovering that he had dyspraxia and dysgraphia at the age of 12
- How he developed his passion for personal training and weightlifting, after struggling with team sports as a child
- His approach to successfully training his clients – especially teenagers (and neurodivergent teenagers)
- The life benefits he has seen from going to the gym
- His experience competing in Olympic Weightlifting
To hear more about Bayley and his work, you can read his feature article in Dystinct Magazine or email him at bayleygarnham at gmail.com.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Charlie Ocean is an award-winning LGBTQ+ speaker, trainer, and consultant who is neuroqueer and nonbinary. They have a background in social work and over 15 years of experience with LGBTQ+ community organizing. To date, they've trained thousands of youth and adults on various LGBTQ+ topics in various settings. Charlie is also the host of Allyship is a Verb, a Sonic Bloom Awards and Ambie-nominated podcast.
During this episode, Charlie talks about:
- What led them to start their LGBTQ+ advocacy in high school
- How they realized that they were nonbinary and neurodivergent – and what being neuroqueer means to them
- How their personal experiences in the workplace led them to start their consulting practice
- Addressing allies' common fears and making space for messy (but necessary) conversations about allyship
You can find Charlie’s work at the following links:
Instagram LinkedIn Website Allyship is a Verb podcast
Listener shout-out! A big THANK YOU to Will, a Beyond 6 Seconds listener, for supporting this podcast on Buy Me A Coffee! Check out BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds if you’d like to help support or sponsor a future episode!
Beyond 6 Seconds is a winner at the 2023 Signal Awards! My September episode about Dissociative Identity Disorder with Amber Louise Ainsworth won a Gold Award from the judging panel and a Listener’s Choice Award in the Best Conversation Starter award category. See the official listing on the Signal Awards website.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Content note: This episode contains mentions of sexual assault, describes a stroke and recovery, and has occasional swearing.
Marisa Hamamoto is the first professional dancer to be named as one of People Magazine’s "Women Changing the World." Her award-winning nonprofit and professional dance company, Infinite Flow, employs disabled and nondisabled artists with a mission to foster inclusion. Marisa is also a stroke survivor who is autistic and has PTSD.
During this episode, you will hear Marisa talk about:
- Her lifelong passion for dancing, despite facing bias and exclusion within the dance world
- How a heartbreaking rejection by her dance school classmates inspired her to make a boldly inclusive decision, and showed her how small actions can lead to big change
- The life-changing stroke that paralyzed her for months, and the long process of healing from the physical and mental trauma that followed
- How a salsa dance performance in Japan rekindled her passion and confidence as a dancer
- Her dancing partnership with a disabled athlete that inspired her to found Infinite Flow
- How she was diagnosed with PTSD and autism as an adult – and reflecting on her life, now knowing that she’s autistic
You can also find out more about Marisa on her website MarisaHamamoto.com and connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Watch Infinite Flow Dance performances at InfiniteFlowDance.org/portfolio.
Sign up for Marisa's newsletter and the Infinite Flow newsletter.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Jhonelle Bean is a 28-year-old disability advocate living with Tourette Syndrome and PTSD. Jhonelle shares her experience with Tourette Syndrome through social media to educate others and help destigmatize the condition, especially within communities of color. She has also created a community called "For The Advocates," where other disability advocates can find a place to relate and get support and resources from each other.
During this episode, you will hear Jhonelle talk about:
- Her first tics in childhood and adolescence, and the reactions of the people around her
- Why it took so long for her to get a Tourette’s diagnosis
- How she decided to become a Tourette’s advocate online
- Some common misconceptions about Tourette’s
- Her advocacy about Tourette's and communities of color
- Why she created the "For The Advocates” community
Follow Jhonelle on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter. Follow For The Advocates on Instagram.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Ross K. Foad is a professional actor and voice artist in the United Kingdom. A second generation actor, he was just 18 months old when he made his acting debut, but would get his proper start in acting on the London comedy circuit as a stand up comic and sketch comic actor. He is autistic and dyspraxic, and in 2017 was one of only 30 disabled actors chosen by the BBC for their Class Act Training Scheme, an initiative designed to help increase disabled representation on screen.
During this episode, you will hear Ross talk about:
- What life was like for him growing up autistic and dyspraxic
- The biggest challenges he faces as a neurodivergent actor
- His love of voice acting
- His experience in the BBC Class Act Training Scheme working with mentors and other disabled actors
To find out more about Ross and his work, you can find him on Twitter and YouTube.
This episode of Beyond 6 Seconds is sponsored by Dystinct Magazine. Dystinct Magazine publishes evidence-based content from specialists in an easy-to-understand format and inspirational stories of everyday role models highlighting how they cope with the struggles and hardships that learning disabilities bring. Dystinct Magazine also offers various opportunities for children to participate in its publication. They have opportunities for young journalists, designers, and illustrators. Check out their website at dystinct.org or contact Zahra (the founder) at zahra@dystinct.org to see how your children or students with learning disabilities can get involved.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
CW: Mentions of drinking, drug use, suicidal thoughts, depression, trauma, and occasional swearing
Amber Louise Ainsworth is a dissociative identity disorder (DID) system from the UK. Since realizing they are a DID system at age 38, they’ve been working through their healing: processing and sharing all their collective trauma. They have written several books, including “The revelation,” which details their first year of healing.
During this interview, you’ll hear from three of the alters in my guest’s DID system: Amber (who is the system host), Mia, and Berlou. They talk about:
- What life was like before they realized they are a DID system with several alters
- How they discovered their first alter
- How their alters communicate with each other (or in many cases, how amnesia prevents them from communicating), and how they write books and poetry about their experiences
- What it feels like when alters fuse with each other and separate from each other, and how that helps them process and heal from past trauma
Follow Amber Louise Ainsworth on Instagram and Twitter, and read their writing at DIDWeWrite.co.uk.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Nate Shalev is a leading expert and advisor on inclusivity helping to create workplace cultures where both businesses and people thrive. They were named a LinkedIn Top Voice and have been highlighted in the Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Nate earned a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University and an MA from New York University. They are the founder of Revel Impact, a consultancy that specializes in social impact and diversity, equity & inclusion.
During this episode, you will hear Nate talk about:
- How they realized that they are autistic
- The intersections between their transgender and autistic identities
- Some of the negative experiences they had at work, which led them to start their own business
- The training and advising they do at companies to help build inclusive practices and open up communications between managers and teams
- How to be a good ally to your trans and autistic coworkers
- Creating work systems that can benefit everyone
Learn more about Nate’s work at RevelImpact.com and on LinkedIn.
This episode is sponsored by Misfit Media: a podcast about queerness, disability, fatness and more with a focus on personal experience, knowledge and intracommunity topics. Tune in every Sunday for bite-sized episodes, in which the host Delta talks about all sorts of things ranging from being non-binary, neurodivergence or living in a fat body. Misfit Media is available at anchor.fm/misfitmedia and wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
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Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
As a young autistic girl, Swara Swami could sing before she could speak. Now Swara is a music therapist and singer who advocates for mental health and autism awareness on her social media.
Swara has her Bachelors in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music and is currently doing her Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy specializing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lesley University. She has worked with several well-known Indian musical artists as part of the Berklee Indian Ensemble, where she also performed on a Grammy-nominated album.
During this episode, you will hear Swara talk about:
- What it was like growing up as an autistic girl in India
- How neurodivergence is viewed in India
- What inspired her to become a music therapist, and the challenges she has faced working in the music therapy field
- Her experience as a student who has studied and lived in several different countries
- Her singing experience, including her performance on a Grammy-nominated album
- Why she advocates for autism and mental health awareness
Follow Swara on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player!
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Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Lydia Wilkins is a freelance journalist and author based in the UK who covers disability and social issues. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Metro, The Independent, Refinery 29, The Daily Mail and PosAbility Magazine. She writes a newsletter on Substack discussing the intersection between feminism and disability culture. Her debut book, “The Autism-Friendly Cookbook,” was published in November 2022. She is also an ambassador for AccessAble, an organization providing access guides across the UK.
During this episode, you will hear Lydia talk about:
- Her experience working as an autistic journalist
- What inspired her to write “The Autism-Friendly Cookbook," and how her book makes cooking more accessible for autistic people
- How clear communication skills are both critical and underrated
- The difference between asking informed questions and expecting emotional labor from people with disabilities
Content warning: occasional swearing, a reference to suicide
Limited-time giveaway! Beyond 6 Seconds is also giving away a copy of "The Autism-Friendly Cookbook" to two of our listeners in the United States! Check out my post on Twitter (pinned post) or Threads on Monday, July 24th, 2023 for more information. Up to two winners will be chosen at random. Valid for US addresses only. Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EDT on Friday, August 4, 2023.
“The Autism-Friendly Cookbook” is also available for purchase on the Jessica Kingsley Publishers US and UK websites, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Waterstones.
Find out more about Lydia and her work at LydiaWilkins.co.uk, subscribe to her Substack newsletter The Disabled Feminist, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Elena Chambers is a disability advocate, writer, poet and photographer. On her blog, Dyscalculia Community, she writes about disability in a social context, societal-level ableism, and her personal experience of growing up with a learning disability. She also posts on social media about issues pertaining to disability justice, inclusion, and awareness. She currently works as a special education paraprofessional in the Ann Arbor Public Schools and will begin a Master’s in Social Work at the University of Michigan in September 2023.
During this episode, you will hear Elena talk about:
- How she got diagnosed with dyscalculia at the age of 18
- What dyscalculia was like for her as a child, and how it affects her now as an adult
- What led her to pursue a career in special education
- What inspired her to start blogging and sharing her experience with dyscalculia on social media
To find out more about Elena and her work, you can follow her Dyscalculia Community blog, on Instagram @elenachambers.advocacy and on TikTok @elenachambers_.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Maria Davis-Pierre is a licensed mental health counselor, autism awareness advocate and founder of the organization Autism in Black. As the parent of two autistic children, and being autistic herself, she uses her professional expertise to connect with and empower Black parents of autistic children. Through Autism in Black, she also provides essential training to organizations to help them serve the Black disability community more effectively. She has been featured for her work in Forbes, The New York Times, USA Today, Parents Magazine and on PBS, and has collaborated with Microsoft.
During this episode, you will hear Maria talk about:
- How she discovered that she is autistic and has ADHD, and what her life was like growing up and going to university before her diagnoses
- The massive challenges with getting an autism diagnosis and effective therapies for her daughter that inspired Maria to start Autism in Black
- How Autism in Black’s training, conference and podcast educate and equip organizations to better serve the Black disability community
- The importance of an intersectional understanding of disability and culturally responsive therapy
To find out more about Autism in Black, you can check out the following links below!
AutismInBlack.org
Autism In Black 2023 Conference Replays
Autism In Black Membership Community
@autisminblack on Instagram
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Sarah Brown is a New York City based podcast producer and editor. She has worked on shows such as Minority Korner, Get on Up, #Matter and Fixing the Future. She also produces her own show called The Queerience, which is a podcast all about the LGBTQIA+ community. Sarah has a genetic condition called Fragile X syndrome that manifests in her as ADHD.
On this episode, Sarah talks about:
- What Fragile X syndrome is, and what it was like for her growing up with Fragile X and ADHD
- Her podcasting work, and the types of topics and guests she has on her podcast, The Queerience
- How she uses routines and other strategies to manage her life with ADHD
- How neurodiversity has helped her understand herself more, and find communities of people with similar experiences
Follow Sarah and her podcast, The Queerience, on Instagram at @sbrownsays and @thequeeriencepodcast and on Twitter @thequeerience.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
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Kaishawna is a 21 year old Deaf Black Autistic woman, clarinet player and college student who is studying to become an educator for neurodivergent and disabled students. She communicates using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) text-to-speech app on her iPad, sign language, and sometimes unreliable vocal speech. She is a disability advocate and aspiring author who is working on two novels that feature disabled main characters.
During this episode, Kaishawna discusses:
- Her experiences using AAC to communicate with others
- How she experiences playing music as a Deaf Autistic musician, and her love of music theory
- How she found out she was autistic, and how that led her to become involved with disability rights advocacy
- The difficulty she had finding community as a Deaf Black Autistic woman, and the racism and ableism she faces
- What she hopes to teach her students as an educator
- The two novels she is currently working on
Follow Kaishawna on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
Read the episode transcript.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Patty DeDurr is a mom, healthcare worker and award-winning author of two children’s books: "This Kid Can Hyperfocus" (a story about ADHD) and "This Llama Can Write" (a story about dysgraphia). She provides educational information and resources about supporting neurodivergent kids on her publisher's website, Sensing Greatness. Patty has ADHD and dysgraphia herself, and she’s determined to help reduce stigma surrounding neurodivergence by increasing representation in literature.
During this episode, you will hear Patty talk about:
- What is dysgraphia, and what it’s like for her to have dysgraphia and ADHD
- Why assistive technology is important for individuals with dysgraphia
- What inspired her to write children’s books with neurodivergent characters, and how she came up with the plots for the stories
- The neurodiversity resources she provides for her advocacy work
Learn more about Patty's books, This Kid Can Hyperfocus and This Llama Can Write.
Get Patty's free resources for neurodivergent children on her website, Sensing Greatness.
Follow Patty on Facebook and Instagram.
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This episode features a promo for Differently Brained, the podcast where no brain is the same.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Content note: This episode describes instances of medical trauma and mental health crises, and mentions violence and death.
Kate Wallinga is a forensic psychologist and crisis clinician by training, and currently hosts the podcast “Ignorance Was Bliss,” which has surpassed 1 million downloads. Kate has ADHD, epilepsy, and a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after having a near-death experience in childbirth and a grand mal seizure.
During this episode, you will hear Kate talk about:
- The origin story of the “Ignorance Was Bliss” podcast (and its tagline, “Didn't you feel better before you knew that?”)
- How her life, neurotype, cognition and family relationships changed after her near-death experience and traumatic brain injury – including her experiences with amnesia and aphasia
- Why she describes herself as being broken, and why being broken is ok
- How her recovery means she has gotten to a new baseline, and doesn’t mean going back to the way she was
- How she learned to give herself grace in her life, after everything she's been through
Listen to Kate’s podcast “Ignorance Was Bliss” at IWBPodcast.com or on your favorite podcast player.
Follow Kate on Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon and TikTok.
Listener shout-out! A big THANK YOU to Buna, a Beyond 6 Seconds listener, for supporting this podcast on BuyMeACoffee.com!
Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Read the episode transcript.
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Adam Mico is the Principal of Data Visualization and Enablement at Moderna. He is a Tableau Visionary, 3x Tableau Ambassador, an Advisory Board Member of the Data Leadership Collaborative, and a member of the Tableau Speaker Bureau. In his spare time, he blogs, produces data visualizations, travels, and networks with the larger data community. He is autistic and supports diversity and inclusion efforts, which includes neurodiversity.
During this episode, you will hear Adam talk about:
- His multi-year journey to recognizing and accepting his autism
- How he discovered Tableau and data visualization as a career interest
- His transformative decision to “bet on himself” and leave his public sector job after 22+ years to switch careers and industries
- Finding the Tableau community where, for the first time in his life, he felt supported and safe enough to start “unmasking” his autism as an autistic professional
- The surprise and honor of being recognized for his contributions to the Tableau data community
- The “happy accident” that led him to the opportunity to write a published book
- How he mentors neurodivergent data professionals
- His advice on how to connect to the Tableau community online and join the #DataFam
Follow Adam on LinkedIn and Twitter and get his book “Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification: A prep guide with multiple learning styles to help you gain Tableau Desktop Specialist certification” on Amazon.
Are you an autistic person who works in the corporate world? Join the new LinkedIn Group for Autistic Corporate Professionals, a place to share advice and experiences with navigating corporate jobs, careers and workplaces.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Janelle Johnson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), is a wife, mother, and Founder of Bridges Family Life Center, a Systemic Therapy and Consulting group practice near Raleigh, North Carolina. An award-winning educator and innovative mental health leader, she is often sought out for her social justice advocacy regarding intersectionality of ableism, sexism, and racism. She currently serves as President of the NC Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. A graduate of NC State University and Chapman University, she has returned to her first alma mater as a doctoral student in the Educational Equity program.
During this episode, you will hear Janelle talk about:
- How she discovered she was autistic during an interaction with one of her clients
- Her experience in school as an undiagnosed autistic child
- How the struggles of a family friend sparked her lifelong interest in psychology
- The importance of having Black and brown therapists who can support Black and brown clients
- How she became a doctoral student in the Educational Equity program, researching the intersectionality of disability and race
- Her personal experience with unmasking as a Black autistic woman and code-switching
- How she teaches leadership teams how to have conversations about race, disability, and other challenging topics in ways that build organizational culture and connection
Find out more about Janelle and her work at the website for Bridges Family Life Center (her therapy and consulting group practice), on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Learn more about FACES for Autism, the advocacy and empowerment program for Black families raising autistic children that Janelle partners with as part of her doctoral research.
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This episode features a promo for The Other Autism, a podcast hosted by Kristen Hovet that explores late-diagnosed autism, with a focus on autistic women. Listen to The Other Autism at other-autism.buzzsprout.com or on your favorite podcast app.
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Ben VanHook is an autistic master’s degree student studying public policy at George Mason University, with the hopes of reforming employment and education policy to make them more inclusive for neurodivergent individuals. Ben's passion for creating a more inclusive world stems from his own experiences as an autistic Jewish Asian American adoptee and has led to him speaking and presenting to employers, professors, researchers and self-advocates in the United States and abroad.
During this episode, you will hear Ben talk about:
- How he learned he was autistic while he was in high school
- The challenges he faced coming from China to the United States as an adoptee
- His insights about the intersections of his identities as an autistic, Jewish, Asian American adoptee
- How posting on LinkedIn led him to become a neurodiversity advocate and public speaker on the intersections of autism, race and religion
- His role in a TV documentary about intersectionality between race and autism
- His thoughts on supporting neurodivergent employees in the workplace and in their careers
- What are the main goals for his advocacy
To learn more about Ben and his advocacy:
- Follow him on LinkedIn
- Watch the PBS documentary episode that featured him: “A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity - Neurodivergence and People of Color”
- See his United Nations presentation about Autistic perspectives on Policy and Advocacy for 2023 World Autism Awareness Day
Listener shout-outs! A big THANK YOU to Elaine A. and Dan G. for supporting this podcast on BuyMeACoffee.com!
Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Read the episode transcript.
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Jordyn Zimmerman earned her bachelor's degree in Education Policy from Ohio University and her Masters of Education at Boston College. As a nonspeaking autistic student who was denied access to effective augmentative communication until she was 18, Jordyn has personal experience challenging the educational status quo. Her experience is featured in the 2021 documentary, “This Is Not About Me.”
Technology helped open Jordyn's world, and she began advocating for students. She has keynoted and presented at conferences around the world, is on the board of CommunicationFIRST, works as Director of Professional Development at The Nora Project, and has been featured by prominent media outlets. Recently, Jordyn was appointed to serve on the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Jordyn is passionate and determined to make a difference in the world of education — making sure every student can access effective communication and exercise their right to a truly inclusive education.
During this episode, Jordyn shares:
- What life was like before she could communicate by typing – and how it changed when she finally got access to effective communication technology at the age of 18
- The poor treatment and substandard education she received in school, from people who denied her access to communication technology and refused to recognize her intelligence – and how her experiences fuel her advocacy for inclusive education
- What was it like going to college away from home – and why she started a college cheerleading team that includes disabled and nondisabled students
- Her advocacy with the nonprofit organization CommunicationFIRST for people with communication disabilities
- How she got the opportunity to be featured in the documentary “This Is Not About Me”
- Her advice for nonspeakers and their allies
To find out more about Jordyn and her work, visit her website at JordynZimmerman.com and connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
After working as a gifted education teacher, Emily Kircher-Morris became a clinical mental health counselor who supports gifted and twice-exceptional (gifted + neurodivergent) children. She is also the host of The Neurodiversity Podcast and the author of several books, including "Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom" and the revised edition of "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children." She has three neurodivergent children and is neurodivergent herself.
During this episode, Emily talks about:
- What her life was like as a twice-exceptional student (gifted and ADHD)
- Her experience as a teacher of gifted and twice-exceptional children, and why she decided to become a clinical mental health counselor
- The importance of neurodiversity-affirming therapy, and what it looks like in practice
- What inspired her to start The Neurodiversity Podcast
- The story behind the books that she wrote
Find out more about Emily and her work at these links: Twitter: @EmilyKM_LPC The Neurodiversity Podcast Neurodiversity University Her books: Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom and Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
How do you get an education when you cannot speak, and the school system does not understand your abilities or support your needs? This was the experience of Ben Breaux, a 22-year-old nonspeaking autistic man with epilepsy who uses a letterboard and a text-to-speech app on his iPad to communicate.
Ben is an aspiring journalist who feels it is very important that non-, minimal- and unreliably speaking autistic people have equal rights, opportunities, and voices in society. He writes and advocates on these topics and more on his public Facebook Page, for numerous autism advocacy groups worldwide, and on advocacy boards and committees in his home state of Virginia and nationally.
During this episode, Ben discusses:
- What life was like before he learned how to communicate using a letterboard
- The struggles he faced to earn his education
- The advocacy work he does for nonspeaking autistic people with two nonprofit organizations, NeuroClastic and CommunicationFIRST
- What inspired him to start sharing his writing online
- His advice for parents of nonspeaking children, and for nonspeaking people themselves
Read Ben’s writing on his Facebook page, Instagram and on the Neuroclastic website, and follow Ben on TikTok.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Note: This episode contains occasional swearing (coprolalia).
Monica Nguyen is a 20-year-old disability advocate who lives in Sydney, Australia. Monica began sharing her experiences online after facing a lot of discrimination from people who don’t understand her Tourette Syndrome. Her goal is to inspire, educate and empower.
During this episode, you will hear Monica talk about:
- What her life has been like with Tourette’s, as someone living in Australia who is part of a Vietnamese family
- The discrimination she’s faced in public because of her tics and coprolalia, including a confrontation at a train station that compelled her to start sharing her life experiences with Tourette’s online
- The positive community she has built on TikTok by creating videos about her life with Tourette’s
- The goals she has for her advocacy
Follow Monica on TikTok @meowmons and Instagram @ticswithmon.
This episode features a promo from the Psychocinematic podcast, which discusses the representation of disability and mental health conditions in film and TV. Listen to Psychocinematic at PsychocinematicPodcast.com or on your favorite podcast app.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Content warning: This episode mentions emotional abuse.
Tessa McEvoy is autistic, has a speech disability called Oral Motor Apraxia, and was recently diagnosed bipolar. She talks about her experiences on her popular Facebook page, Apraxia Story, and advocates for autistic, bipolar, abuse survivors and apraxic individuals online. In 2022 she wrote, illustrated and published her book called “What is it like Living with Depression?”
During this episode, you will hear Tessa talk about:
- What inspired her to start sharing her apraxia story online
- The difficulties she’s faced as a neurodivergent person with a speech disability, including being judged, abused and isolated
- Why she advocates for disabled people who are experiencing abuse
- The inspiration and motivation behind her book
- Sharing her life experiences to help people in similar situations feel less alone
Follow Tessa on Facebook at Apraxia Story, join her Patreon community and check out her book, “What is it like Living with Depression?" on Amazon.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Read the episode transcript.
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Rickey Z is a Pre-K Special Education teacher who started her podcast management business in 2020. She is a co-host on Woe Nelly Media's "Geekin' Out" and is in partnership with ADHD + Black, an up-and-coming organization whose mission is to provide support and resources for the Black neurodivergent community. Rickey Z was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 30 while in the process of coming to terms with untreated depression and anxiety.
During this episode, you will hear Rickey Z talk about:
- How she discovered that had ADHD at the age of 30
- What it was like growing up as a Black girl with undiagnosed ADHD
- Why she thinks boys are identified as neurodivergent at younger ages than girls are
- How realizing she has ADHD impacts how she views and manages her depression and anxiety
- Managing her life as a special education teacher, mother and owner of a podcast management business
- How her partnership with ADHD + Black creates resources to support Black neurodivergent people
You can find out more about Rickey Z and her work on:
- Instagram: @rickeyz_social and @adhdandblack
- TikTok: @rickey_z
- Twitter: @RickeyZ_Social and @ADHDandBlack
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Jeremy Andrew Davis is a screenwriter, film director, and consultant for disability representation in media. He describes himself as multi-disabled with several neurodivergencies as well as chronic illnesses. As a recognized name in disability, he became one of 12 LinkedIn Top Voices of Disability Advocacy of 2022. Jeremy is also a social media influencer with more than 100 million video views across his career, including a TikTok channel that grew to almost 300,000 followers after only six months.
During this episode, you will hear Jeremy talk about:
- How he discovered his neurodivergencies later in life
- The types of stories he has been telling through his filmmaking, starting from a young age
- His processes for writing characters – and how he writes diverse casts of characters outside of his own identities and lived experiences
- What’s required to make media that’s authentically representative of people with disabilities (it’s more than just hiring a disability consultant!)
- His thoughts on the representation of autistic people on TV, like Love on the Spectrum and Extraordinary Attorney Woo – and what media he feels is getting autistic representation right
- What led him to start his TikTok account, and how the content he creates there is different from his other writing and filmmaking
Find out more about Jeremy and his work on his website and TikTok.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Diane J. Wright is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility media consultant working in film and television. She is also the founder of Autastic.com, which provides resources and community for late-identified autistic people of color and their allies.
During this episode, you will hear Diane talk about:
- How burnout led her to discover that she is autistic and has ADHD
- Why it is difficult for her to detangle the intersections of her racial, gender and neurodivergent identities
- What inspired her to create Autastic.com
- How the Autastic community encourages meaningful conversations and connections among late-identified autistic people of color and their allies
- The valuable curated resources for late-diagnosed autistic adults on Autastic
- The life-changing impact that Autastic has had on its community members
- Her hope for more Black and brown autistic people to find each other, feel less alone and less vulnerable
Visit www.autastic.com for more information about Autastic and check out www.autastic.com/support for ways to support their mission.
You can also find Autastic on social media on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Dr. Lola Day is a multi-passionate busy mother of 3, a pediatric cardiologist, podcaster and ADHD trained life coach and productivity strategist for women. She is also the CEO and Founder of LollieTasking, a coaching and consulting firm that teaches high achieving, easily distracted professional women how to accomplish their goals without overwhelm or their brain sabotaging their efforts.
During this episode, Lola talks about:
- How she learned she had ADHD while in medical school
- How she compensated for the challenges and leveraged the strengths of her ADHD, even before getting her diagnosis
- The systems she put in place – the processes, people, structures and more -- that helped her succeed
- How she became an ADHD trained life coach to help people lean into their interests and build their own systems for success
- Why coaching that works for neurotypical people may not work for people with ADHD – and what techniques people with ADHD may want to try instead
Find out more about Lola on her podcast, LollieTasking with ADHD, on Instagram @lollietasker, and by email at hello at lollietasking.com.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Jack RH O'Sullivan is an award-winning independent filmmaker and film director based in London. He is autistic, has Tourette Syndrome and OCD. He has directed ten short films including “Tourettes & I”, a coming-of-age drama about his own experiences with Tourette’s. With this film, he intends to raise awareness about Tourette Syndrome, so others don't have to go through the tough childhood of bullying and misinformation he went through.
During this episode, you will hear Jack talk about:
- His late diagnosis of Tourette’s, autism, and OCD and how that affected his early life in school
- The negative and misleading depictions of Tourette’s in the media, and the authentic representation that “Tourettes & I” brings to the big screen
- Casting an actor with Tourette's in the film's lead role
- How the UK charity Tourettes Action supported the film
- The film's impact on audiences and at film festivals
Learn more about “Tourettes & I” and Jack’s other films on Movie Making Media's website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Watch "Tourettes & I" for free starting on New Year’s Day 2023 at DarkSkyTV.com.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and I'm excited to host my first podcast guest who is talking about Down syndrome! Mary Borman is an ambassador for Down syndrome and 2018 Self-Advocate of the Year for the National Down Syndrome Society. We recorded this episode a few weeks ago, while Mary was preparing to compete at the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships in Portugal this month.
We talk about several of Mary's accomplishments, which include:
- Swimming competitively and winning medals at the Special Olympics National Games and Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships
- Modeling in Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week
- Lobbying for disability rights and legislation
- Speaking to organizations across the U.S. about Down syndrome
Learn more about Mary and her work at MaryBorman.com and follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Miya Sae is an autistic Christian, blogger, and aspiring author. Through her writing, she strives to help bridge the neglected gap between autism and Christianity, while bringing hope and encouragement to other misunderstood neurodivergent Christians like herself.
During this episode, you will hear Miya talk about:
- What her life was like before her autism diagnosis
- How her views of her own autism and her relationship with God changed over time
- The initial conflict she felt between her faith and her secular special interests, and how she feels about her special interests today
- The advice that she has for other neurodivergent people who are struggling with their faith
You can find more about Miya and read her writing at MiyaSae.com, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
"You can choose to keep living your life in isolation... Or, you can break yourself out of that isolation and start to own the things that make you, you. One of which is having Tourette's, right?"
Kevin Helgren's mom shared these encouraging words with her son after seeing him struggle with his Tourette Syndrome diagnosis in middle school. This conversation helped give Kevin the confidence to talk about his Tourette's and start accepting it as a unique and authentic part of himself.
Last year, Kevin shared his story in a keynote speech at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he recently got his MBA. His speech, called “You're Scaring the Bears: The Power of Tourette's,” helped him educate even more people about Tourette's when it was published on YouTube.
In this episode, Kevin talks about living with Tourette's and sharing his experiences publicly, where the unique name of his speech comes from, the importance of leaning into your authentic self, and the intersection of his identities as a neurodivergent gay man.
Learn more about Kevin and his Tourette’s advocacy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also watch his 13-minute talk, “You're Scaring the Bears: The Power of Tourette's,” on YouTube.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Lee Chambers is a business psychologist and the founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, which helps organizations design and deliver well-being and inclusion strategies. He is the current Great British Entrepreneur of the Year for Service Industries and can be often found speaking on gender equity and menopause in the workplace.
During this episode, you will hear Lee talk about:
- Getting his autism diagnosis as an adult
- His experience growing up as an undiagnosed autistic Black boy, including his struggles to fit in and find role models
- His eclectic career path that led him to entrepreneurship
- How he helps organizations improve employee well-being in the workplace – what that means, why it’s important for employee retention, talent development and a healthy workplace culture – and why organizations need to “Show, not Tell” when it comes to inclusion
- The connection between menopause and talent management that's often ignored
To find out more about Lee and his work, you can find him on his official website. You can also find him on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Hamish Hallett is a podcast host and journalist who creates online content about auditory processing disorder (APD). He wants to help those with learning difficulties not to feel limited and to embrace what they have, rather than feel ashamed of it.
During this episode, you will hear Hamish talk about:
- His childhood and school years with auditory processing disorder (APD)
- The importance of neurodivergent kids having support in schools
- How an essay assignment helped him see his university experience in a new light
- What inspired him to start creating content about APD
- His opinion about calling learning disabilities “superpowers” or “special needs”
- What it’s like hosting his interview podcast, In Pursuit of Passion, as a host with APD
- His advice for people with APD
Follow Hamish on Instagram and TikTok and listen to his podcast, In Pursuit of Passion.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Madge Woollard has run her own business teaching piano and keyboard since 1994. Madge was diagnosed autistic in 2016 at the age of 44. She lives in Sheffield UK with her wife who is also late-diagnosed autistic.
A graduate of Cambridge University, she teaches children and adults, privately and in schools, and is keen to specialize in working with neurodivergent students. She is also a member of Spectrum Theatre company, which features neurodivergent and neurotypical performers.
During this episode, you will hear Madge talk about:
- How she and her wife got their autism diagnoses
- How she struggled to find a teaching job and decided to start her own business instead
- Her success with teaching piano to autistic and non-autistic students
- Finding a sense of belonging within local autistic communities, including the Autscape conference and the Spectrum Theatre company
- The intersections of autistic and LGBTQ+ identities
Madge also wrote a chapter for the book “Learning from Autistic Teachers: How to Be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School.” Find out more about the book here.
Connect with Madge at the links below:
Official Website: mwoollard.webs.com
LinkedIn: Madge Woollard
Facebook: Madge Woollard Piano and Keyboard Tuition
Twitter: @funkiepiano
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Quincy Hansen is a young autistic activist, writer, public speaker and college student from Colorado. He is the author of the new book “Shake It Up! How to be Young, Autistic, and Make an Impact” and writes a blog at SpeakingOfAutism.com.
During this episode, you will hear Quincy talk about:
- Being known as the “bad kid” in school whose struggles were seen as behavior problems -- until he found the right educational environment where he could thrive
- How connecting with other autistic people online inspired him to blog about his experiences and helped build his self-confidence
- How his blog grew in popularity after one of his early posts went viral: “How do I get an autistic person to X?” – You’re asking the wrong question.
- How his blog led to other advocacy opportunities, including writing his new book, “Shake It Up!”
- The importance of practicing self-care so that you can sustain your advocacy
- His advice for advocates and content creators
You can find Quincy’s writing on his blog, SpeakingOfAutism.com, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
For a limited time, Beyond 6 Seconds listeners in the US can save 20% off the purchase price of Quincy’s book! Go to jkp.com, add “Shake It Up!” to your cart, and enter the discount code Hansen20 at checkout to get 20% off the book. This discount code is valid until August 31, 2022, for listeners with shipping addresses in the US only.
You can also enter to win a copy of “Shake It Up!” Check out my August 9, 2022 Twitter post at @Beyond6S to find out how.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!
Read the episode transcript.
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Mads Johan Øgaard is an award-winning artist, filmmaker and public speaker. He is known for his animated short films about being a neurodivergent child: the multi-award-winning “I AM DYSLEXIC” (based on his own school experiences) and “WITH THE UNIVERSE IN MY SUITCASE” (based on the experiences of people with ADHD who worked on the film with him).
During this episode, you will hear Mads talk about:
- Receiving his dyslexia and dyscalculia diagnoses as a child
- How drawing helped him focus and learn in school, where he had to advocate for his own learning needs
- What led him to create his film “I AM DYSLEXIC” while at university, and the international impact it has had since he released it
- Why he was asked to make a film about ADHD
Watch Mads’ films: “I AM DYSLEXIC” and “WITH THE UNIVERSE IN MY SUITCASE” (about ADHD)
Get Mads’ book: “Hacking the Code: The Ziggety Zaggety Road of a Dyslexic Kid”
Find Mads through his website www.madsjohanogaard.com and follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Brianne Leeson is a writer, artist, and voice actor from Dallas, Texas. She is the creator of the queer supernatural comedy audio drama, “Today’s Lucky Winner.” Brianne was diagnosed as autistic and with ADHD at age 30, and she has since become a passionate advocate for autism acceptance and representation in media.
During this episode, Brianne talks about:
- How she got her autism and ADHD diagnosis during the pandemic, when her world was turned upside down
- How her diagnosis helped her reassess and reframe her past struggles with mental health
- Why an experience with hot sauce removed any doubt in her mind about her autism diagnosis
- How she realized she had written her own neurodivergence into the two main characters of Today’s Lucky Winner
- Why she decided to explicitly mention during the show that these characters are neurodivergent – and the positive impact this has had on the show’s fans
- How writing helped her process her diagnosis
For more information about “Today’s Lucky Winner”, check out the links below:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Patreon
A message at the top of this episode:
The US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade on June 24th, 2022, which stripped away the right to have a safe and legal abortion. To learn more about what you can do, go to podvoices.help.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Jennifer Opal is a DevOps Engineer with the HelloSign Team at Dropbox, a multi-award winning neurodiversity & inclusion advocate, blogger & keynote speaker. She also has dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD. Jennifer has worked with clients such as Bloomberg, Google and HackAJob, providing insight on being a neurodivergent queer Black woman engineer in tech, in the hopes of educating & inspiring others.
During this episode, you will hear Jennifer talk about:
- How she got diagnosed with dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD as a university student
- What inspired her to get into coding and tech as a career
- The challenges she’s faced as a neurodivergent employee, and as the only Black person at one of her first tech jobs
- The importance of inclusive work environments
- How she shares her story and tech career journey to educate and inspire others
To find out more about Jennifer and her work, you can follow her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok. You can also find her on JenniferOpal.com.
This episode features a promo for All About Change hosted by Jay Ruderman. All About Change is a podcast about people who have leveraged the hardship they faced to better the lives of others. For your dose of hope and inspiration, check out All About Change on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
On this special solo episode for Autistic Pride Day, I talk about how I got my autism diagnosis as an adult.
Please note that this is not meant to be medical or professional advice of any kind. It’s just my own personal experience! Your experience may vary.
Resources I mention during this episode:
My 12/20/22 episode where I describe what led me to pursue an assessment.
Autism assessment provider directory (crowdsourced map on Autastic.com).
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Haley Moss is a neurodiversity expert, public speaker and author of four books that guide neurodivergent individuals through professional and personal challenges.
We talk about Haley's latest book, "The Young Autistic Adult’s Independence Handbook,” which shares the “unwritten rules” of adulthood and life advice for autistic young adults. Haley also talks about her own experience as an autistic child and adult:
- How she learned she is autistic at the age of 9, and gave her first public talk about autism at age 13
- Her career journey to become the first openly autistic lawyer in Florida
- Why interdependence and asking for help are important parts of young adulthood
- The power of being an advocate in your local community
Find out more about Haley and her work on HaleyMoss.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Special offers for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners:
Enter to win a copy of Haley's latest book! (U.S. listeners only) Check out the June 14, 2022 Instagram post at @beyond6seconds to learn how you can enter to win a free copy of “The Young Autistic Adult’s Independence Handbook” if you're in the U.S.
Save 20% off the purchase price of two of Haley's books from Jessica Kingsley Publishers: “The Young Autistic Adult's Independence Handbook” and/or “A Freshman Survival Guide For College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Go to jkp.com, add one or both of these books to your cart, and enter the discount code Moss20 at checkout to get 20% off those books. This discount code is valid on jkp.com until July 15th, 2022 and can be used in the U.S. or U.K. only.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Britney Wolf is a passionate Tourette Syndrome advocate who is trying to beat the stigmas surrounding the disorder. Through social media, speaking events and more, she takes every opportunity to let the Tourette Syndrome community know that they aren’t alone and teach those outside of the community what the disorder is actually like to live with.
During this episode, you will hear Britney talk about:
- Her experience growing up with Tourette's
- How she became an advocate for Tourette Syndrome during her school years, and then on social media
- How she responds to people online who accuse her of faking her Tourette’s
- Some of the biggest stereotypes about Tourette Syndrome
- Her experience with OCD and anxiety
- What inspired her to write her new book, “Ticcing My Way Through Life”
For more information about Britney and her work, you can find her on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok and learn about her new book, Ticcing My Way Through Life.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Content warning: Mentions of racism/racist language, suicidal thoughts and auditory hallucinations
Peter Zhao grew up in Nanjing China and then in Bayside Queens, New York. Now he lives in Long Island, New York, works in Healthcare, and is a husband and father of two sons.
Peter has Tourette Syndrome, ADHD and OCD, and recently got his bipolar diagnosis. He started to advocate for Tourette’s after he fought back against bullies in 7th grade and continues to advocate for Tourette Syndrome awareness and mental health every day.
During this episode, you will hear Peter talk about:
- The different cultural expectations he faced in China and the US regarding his tics and mental health
- How he finally received his bipolar diagnosis as an adult
- His experience with managing his tics and mental health, both with and without medication
- His journey of becoming an advocate for Tourette Syndrome and mental health, starting from 7th grade into adulthood
Connect with Peter on social media:
IG: @fabulously_tourette
TikTok: @fabulouslytourette
Twitter: @FabulouslyTour1
Facebook: FabulouslyTourette
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Nadine Drummond is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker from London with roots in Jamaica. A former producer and reporter at CNN and Al Jazeera, she now develops media and content strategy for 14 African countries in her role at the United Nations.
Nadine is also dyspraxic. She struggled growing up pre-diagnosis. When her disability was finally diagnosed in college, she denied and hid her dyspraxia at first, then came to accept it and eventually talk about it publicly in a LinkedIn post that went viral in 2021.
Nadine wasn’t supposed to be a journalist. She was supposed to be a lawyer – that was the career path her family picked for her. After realizing she hated law school, though, she broke away from her family’s expectations. She left her home country to build her career in journalism – a profession where she uses her dyspraxic strengths to improve and save the lives of people around the world.
On this episode, Nadine shares all of these stories and more. Her experience is a testament to how working in your strengths can empower you to make a difference.
(Content warning: Starting around minute 50 of this episode, Nadine talks about gender based violence and sexual assault in Central African Republic. This is the topic of her life-changing film that helped extend the life of The Water Project, which directly protected and improved the lives of the women living in that country.)
Learn more about Nadine at the links below:
- “This Little Girl is me” – Nadine’s viral LinkedIn post
- Nadine’s Medium blog
- Nadine's journalism projects
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
This podcast was recorded live at the Intersectional Infinity Summit on 3/30/2022.
Ky Kennedy is a mother, lactation consultant, author and autism advocate. After seeing a need for an autistic founded and ran organization, Ky and their sister founded Autistics Unmasked (AU). Now Ky and the rest of the team at AU are well on their way to providing educational resources to schools, employers and family members of autistic people across the nation.
During this session, we discuss:
- Ky’s experiences as an undiagnosed autistic child and their self-diagnosis in adulthood
- Why Ky and their sister founded AU to support BIPOC and queer autistic people
- Some of the challenges that autistic BIPOC face in society, and how AU is addressing these challenges through educational curriculums for first responders and schools
- The exciting work AU is doing now and planning for the future!
Learn more about Autistics Unmasked at www.AutisticsUnmasked.org.
Learn more about the Intersectional Infinity Summit on Twitter @NINE_On_Can.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Noah Seback cannot speak -- however, he has a lot to say.
Noah is a nonspeaking autistic young man with apraxia, which has made it impossible for him to communicate reliably for most of his life. Then, at the age of 16, he learned how to use a letterboard to spell out the words he wanted to say -- and his entire world opened up. As Noah described it to me, "it was nirvana!"
Since Noah is nonspeaking, he is joined on this episode by his communication regulation partners, David and Nadine Seback (who are also his parents). During this episode, you’ll hear David and Nadine read Noah’s responses – which means you’ll be hearing Noah’s words through David and Nadine’s speaking voices.
During this episode, Noah shares:
- How his life completely changed after learning how to communicate using a letterboard at age 16
- The importance of presuming competence of nonspeaking people
- How he responds to people who don’t believe that letterboard spelling is a valid method of communication
- How he began to overcome and heal from his trauma
- Why he started qUirk, his mentoring business, to help nonspeakers – especially those who are labeled “the worst of the worst”
- What he wants parents of nonspeaking kids to know, and his advice for nonspeakers who are struggling right now
Find out more about Noah, his writing and his mentoring business at www.quirkthrives.com.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Photographer Joseph Hill is known as the “unofficial mayor” of Southern Pines, North Carolina. He’s currently the exclusive photographer for the Southern Pines Welcome Center, where many of his pictures are available for purchase as postcards. His work has been featured in PineStraw Magazine and on the front page of The Pilot newspaper.
Joseph also has autism, and he's on a mission to spread positivity and encourage other entrepreneurs like himself. (Note: I'm using person-first language like "has autism" for Joseph at his request.)
During this episode, you will hear Joseph talk about:
- What it was like growing up with autism
- How his parents and family friend have helped him develop his passion and career as a photographer
- How he finds and captures the beauty of everyday things in his photography
- The photograph that helped kickstart his photography career
- His mission to spread positivity and encouragement
For more information about Joseph and his photography, you can find him on his official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Kori Tomelden is a late diagnosed autistic ADHDer, life strategist for autistic and ADHD women & a transformational purpose coach. She lives in Albany, NY where she is raising a neurodivergent family. Her older daughter is non-speaking autistic (and also has ADHD and anxiety) and her youngest daughter is HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) and gifted.
Kori brings her own life experiences as an empathic, intuitive autistic woman, mother and entrepreneur to her coaching work and her “Authentically Autistic and ADHD” podcast.
During this episode, you will hear Kori talk about:
- Her multi-year journey to discover she is an autistic ADHDer, which started while she was looking for resources to support her autistic daughter
- How her special interest in understanding human behavior shaped her chosen career
- How her first-hand experience with autism and ADHD has influenced her coaching
- What inspired her to revamp her podcast, and how she’s using it to “unmask” herself
Learn more about Kori at her links below:
YouTube
Podcast
Official Website
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Why has public discourse about autism been dominated by non-autistic voices? And, what’s been happening recently to change this?
My guest Eric Garcia breaks this down in today’s episode! Eric is a journalist based in Washington DC and the senior Washington correspondent for The Independent. He is also the author of the book, “We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation” which was published in 2021.
During this episode, you will hear Eric talk about:
- Why non-autistic voices have traditionally dominated the public conversation about autism
- How government policies have shaped and evolved the public’s perceptions about autism
- Including a wide variety of autistic people’s experiences in his book – including non-speaking autistic people – as well as his own experiences as an autistic Latino man
- How writing this book helped him confront some of his own biases – and what he learned about becoming a better ally and learning from criticism
- Where the public can find accurate information about autism and the autistic community
- How social media has helped autistic people share their experiences, amplify their voices and effect change (for example, by calling out harmful autistic stereotypes about autism in a recent movie by a certain singer)
Buy Eric’s book, “We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation”
Read Eric’s National Journal article (the precursor to “We’re Not Broken”)
Check out Eric’s recommendations for other helpful autism resources:
The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism
Sincerely, Your Autistic Child
#ActuallyAutistic on Twitter – hashtag used by autistic content creators (a good place to listen to autistic people, and especially helpful if you’re newly-diagnosed autistic)
#AskingAutistics on Twitter – use this hashtag to post questions you want to ask autistic people
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
For World Autism Day, I’ve recorded a solo episode where I explain how my thinking has evolved about the word “autistic” – how I was once scared of it, how I overcame my outdated views and biases associated with it, and why now I consider “autistic” to be a powerful word that I’m proud to claim as part of my identity.
I share why I prefer identity-first language over person-first language when describing my autistic self, and why we should let individuals choose how they want to describe themselves.
What other topics should I discuss on a solo episode? If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please let me know! Get in touch through my website www.beyond6seconds.net/contact/ or on social media.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
As a child, Ariel Henley's face was compared to a Picasso painting.
This horrifying comment didn’t come from a schoolyard bully. It was written in a magazine article about Ariel and her experience growing up with Crouzon syndrome, a congenital condition that affects the shape of her face.
From that day forward, Ariel was determined to tell her story. She transformed that insult into the title of her new memoir, “A Face for Picasso.”
Tune into my latest episode to hear Ariel talk about her book, as well as:
- Her story of growing up with Crouzon syndrome
- The pain and harassment she faced
- Finding self-acceptance
- Her advocacy for face equality and authentic media representation of people with facial differences and other disabilities
To find out more about Ariel and her work, visit her website at www.arielhenley.com and order her memoir, “A Face for Picasso.”
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This episode also features a promo of the Art Heals All Wounds podcast.
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
At his first job as a TV host, Seamus Evans disclosed his Tourette Syndrome. That revelation almost ended his dream career.
Fortunately Seamus didn’t lose his job. In fact, he spent the next 13 years in his dream career, entertaining his fellow Australians as a TV and radio personality. Now he is an ambassador for Tourette Syndrome Association Australia and a keynote speaker who shares his story to inspire and encourage kids and adults with Tourette’s.
In this episode, Seamus talks about his experience growing up with Tourette’s, how he taught himself to transform his tics (both on and off the air), how his sense of humor helps him in social situations, and why he encourages everyone to embrace their flaws – because in Seamus’ words, “normal is boring.”
To learn more about Seamus and his work, you can find him at the following links below:
SeamusEvans.com
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.
For 25 years, Ruth Rathblott hid her limb difference.
She doesn't hide it anymore. As she explained in her recent TEDx Talk: when she stopped hiding, she found freedom.
Ruth has been a leader in nonprofit organizations for more than 25 years, with 15 years at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City, and more than eight years as CEO of the Harlem Educational Activities Fund. She currently serves as a Board Member of The Lucky Fin Project. She speaks about inclusion and diversity, the gifts of being unique and the freedom that comes with accepting your differences.
During this episode, you will hear Ruth talk about:
- Her decision to start hiding her limb difference as a teenager, and how it impacted her mental and physical health for decades
- The people in her life who encouraged her to stop hiding and start sharing her personal experience with disability
- The chance encounter in a store where she first learned about the wider community of people with limb differences
- How people have reacted to seeing her limb difference – and how kids react differently than adults
- Her mission to convince companies to include disability in their definitions of workplace diversity
For more about Ruth and her work, follow her on LinkedIn and check out her website www.ruthrathblott.com.
Watch Ruth’s TEDx Talk: When I stopped hiding, I found freedom
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Ayanna Davis, also known as phenomenallyautistic on social media, is an autism advocate who was born & raised in Westchester County, New York. Along with being autistic, she has survived over 300 seizures, is living with chronic illnesses and has 3 autoimmune diseases. She is passionate about spreading her messages of self love, joy, equality, diversity, inclusion, and autism awareness & acceptance through the arts. She is also a children’s book illustrator, designer, former choreographer, and lover of all performing arts.
During this episode, you will hear Ayanna talk about:
- How her love of the arts helped her while growing up as a Black girl with undiagnosed autism
- Her work as a children’s book illustrator and a choreographer
- The challenges Black women face when trying to get an autism diagnosis
- Living with chronic illnesses during the pandemic
- Her goals for her art and advocacy
To find out more about her work, you can find Ayanna at @phenomenallyautistic on Instagram and TikTok and check out her coloring book, We Are Magical.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Alex Gilbert is a New Yorker, a Mets fan, a yogi, and a brunch enthusiast. She also has dyslexia and ADHD. After spending her career working in leadership development, she started Cape-Able Consulting, a consulting and coaching business that helps adults with learning disabilities and/or ADHD who are struggling in their careers. Her biggest goal in creating Cape-Able Consulting is to change the stigma surrounding learning.
During this episode, you will hear Alex talk about:
- Her experiences with teachers, both positive and negative, during her school years
- How she uses the concepts of “best principles” and “superpowers” to help her clients succeed in their careers
- How she learned to advocate for herself at work, and how she helps her clients advocate for themselves at their workplaces
- What inspired her to start her own business
- How workplace accommodations for learning disabled employees can help everyone in the workplace
If you want to know more about Alex and her work, check out her website at capeableconsulting.com and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Rosemary Richings is a writer, author, panel member of Dyspraxia Magazine, and co-founder of Dyspraxic Alliance, a global online support network by and for dyspraxics. When she was four years old, she was diagnosed with dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder).
In 2014, Rosemary started her own freelance writing business to reduce the stress of finding an accessible work environment. Her debut book, “Stumbling Through Space and Time: My Life So Far with Dyspraxia” is being published in the fall of 2022. Recently, Rosemary joined the board of trustees of Dyspraxic Me, a peer group for dyspraxic youth.
During this episode, you will hear Rosemary talk about:
- Her dyspraxia diagnosis, and how dyspraxia affected her at school
- Her struggle to find a supportive working environment where she could truly thrive
- How she developed her longtime passion for writing into a freelance writing business
- What had inspired her to write her book about dyspraxia, and how social media connected her to a publisher
To find out more about Rosemary and her work, you can find her with the following links below!
Rosemary’s Twitter
RosemaryRichings.com (Rosemary's consulting website)
RosieWritingSpace.com (Rosemary’s writing blog)
DyspraxicMe Twitter
Dyspraxic Alliance Twitter
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This episode also features a promo for the new season of 2 Lives, a podcast about people who faced darkness and how those incidents changed the trajectory of their lives.
Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Before Kelly Coons was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of thirteen, she had a coming-of-age story that was mostly deemed as neurotypical. However, she always felt isolated and, until her diagnosis, believed that she was to blame.
After her diagnosis, Kelly became passionate about disability advocacy and promoting autistic pride. Today she is an autism advocate and a novelist who studied English at Smith College.
During this episode, you will hear Kelly talk about:
- Growing up with two autistic brothers – and how she got her own autism diagnosis
- How Kelly learned she is autistic – a year after her parents and teachers already knew
- Her autism advocacy – and why she likes answering people’s questions about autism most of the time
- Life as an autistic college student
- The story behind her novel, All Ways, and how it counteracts common literary narratives about autism by centering autistic experiences and voices
To find out more about Kelly and her work, check out her website, learn more about her novel "All Ways" and connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Feeling frustrated and alone, Natalie Brooks started posting on Instagram about her struggles as a dyslexic adult in the workplace.
She soon realized that her experiences resonated deeply with dyslexic adults around the world -- and it inspired her to expand her social media following into a global online community!
Through her company, Dyslexia in Adults, Natalie has built a supportive and collaborative community where dyslexic adults discuss the challenges and strengths of their dyslexia.
During this episode, you will hear Natalie talk about:
- How a working environment that benefits dyslexic employees can also benefit everyone at work
- Her own struggles with self-doubt and low self-confidence at work
- Why she decided to share her struggles on social media, and how that led her to create a supportive online community for dyslexic adults
- How she handles her imposter syndrome when it comes to talking about her company
- Her perspectives on common dyslexic strengths
For more information about Natalie and her work, visit her website at www.dyslexiainadults.co and follow her on Instagram @dyslexia_in_adults.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
2021 has been quite a year for me -- and my experiences this year have given me new clarity on what I want to focus on with this podcast.
I'm excited to share these new developments with you!
Tune into this episode to hear about the new direction I'll be taking with Beyond 6 Seconds starting in 2022, and the personal news that's driving this change.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
I recorded this episode with my friend Corinna Bellizzi at the She Podcasts Live conference in October 2021. Corinna hosts the Care More. Be Better. podcast and was a guest on my show a few months ago.
In this episode, Corinna interviews me about the why behind Beyond 6 Seconds, including the importance of going beyond the initial 6 seconds of our first impressions. We also discuss our podcasting journeys and how we work to peek behind the veil and get to the truth behind the story in our interview format shows. We also share our key takeaways from She Podcasts Live.
This interview originally aired on the Care More. Be Better. podcast and then on the Femcasters podcast.
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Travis Davis remembers the first time he realized the impact of sharing his story -- a simple lunchtime conversation that encouraged him to start talking about his life with cerebral palsy.
Since that pivotal conversation, Travis has become a TEDx speaker, podcaster and local disability advocate in New Mexico. He has a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in Adapted Physical Education, and is ADA Coordinator certified.
In this episode, Travis talks about that lunchtime encounter, as well as:
- When he was a substitute teacher, why he encouraged his students to ask him questions about his disability
- The chance meeting on an airplane that introduced him to wheelchair basketball
- Why he started his "Off The Crutch Podcast" about his experiences with cerebral palsy
To learn more about Travis and his work, you can find him at the following links:
TravisDavis.net
Facebook
Instagram
EqualSteps.org consulting services
Off the Crutch Podcast
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Margaux Wosk is a non-binary, autistic artist residing in Canada, and the owner of Retrophiliac, their own art business. They are bridging the gap between activism, advocacy and art to bring a message of acceptance to the world.
During this episode, you will hear Margaux talk about:
- What led them to create their art business, Retrophiliac, after many years of being a self-taught artist
- The story behind the Neurodiversity Pride Infinity Rainbow pin – the first pin design they created
- How their art has helped amplify their advocacy for disabled small business owners
To find out more about Margaux and their work, you can find them on the following links down below:
Navigating Life website
Retrophiliac Etsy store
Retrophiliac on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.
Jasmine Crowe is an award-winning social entrepreneur, TED Speaker, and leader who is working to make the world a better place one cause at a time. In 2017, after years of feeding people experiencing homelessness from her own kitchen, she launched Goodr, a sustainable waste management company that leverages technology to combat hunger and reduce food waste. She has been featured on CNBC, Oprah Magazine, Inc., Forbes, Fast Company, the NY Times, and was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 influential female founders.
Under her direction, Goodr has redirected over 12 million pounds of surplus food from restaurants, event centers, airports, and businesses to the millions of people who are food insecure. Goodr clients include SAP, Turner Broadcasting, Hartsfield Jackson Airport, Six Flags Over Georgia, and many more.
During this episode, you will hear Jasmine talk about:
- What makes Goodr different from a food pantry
- How Goodr works with large venues and local non-profits to distribute food to people who are food insecure
- How Goodr pivoted its business during the pandemic
- The free grocery store that Goodr launched inside of Ronald McNair Middle School in Atlanta, Georgia
- What inspired her to write her brand new children’s book, Everybody Eats
For more information, check out goodr.co and follow Goodr on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Check out the Everybody Eats website at everybodyeatsbook.com and order your copy of the book!
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TW: Mentions of suicidal ideation, death from cancer
Kathleen Brown was diagnosed with a rare cancer at the age of 13. While her cancer battle was enormously challenging, she felt completely unprepared for the mental health and emotional struggles that came with it: dark feelings, isolation, trauma and loss.
This difficult experience inspired Kathleen to found buddhi, a digital platform with content, community and curated products for cancer thrivers and their family and friends. With buddhi, she is on a mission to support healing across the entire cancer experience. It's a place to bring your realness and leave toxic positivity at the door.
Before founding buddhi, Kathleen worked for more than 25 years on behalf of the cancer community in fundraising and advocacy, for organizations including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The V Foundation. Prior to St. Jude, she spent a decade in advertising sales with Disney/ESPN and Comcast.
During this episode, you will hear Kathleen talk about:
- Her story of getting a rare cancer diagnosis at age 13, and how she grappled with dark and isolating feelings during treatment and post-treatment
- The well-meaning but damaging impact of “toxic positivity”
- How buddhi supports cancer survivors and their family and friends
- Her decision to leave the full-time job she loved, to focus on the startup she was born to create
Visit the buddhi website at hibuddhi.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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In this episode I’m talking with Jacob Ratliff, a Client Attraction Coach and entrepreneur, about bringing your authenticity into your business. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Jacob used his identity and lived experiences as the catalyst for creating his business, where he helps entrepreneurs increase brand awareness and visibility, create meaningful engagement, and maintain long-term clients.
Jacob struggled with being authentic in his business at first. We’ll learn how he stepped into his authentic self and found success, and as a result, is able to help his clients lean into their authentic, confident, empowered selves to grow their businesses.
Stay tuned to hear Jacob’s advice for getting more clarity and alignment in your business as an entrepreneur!
And if you find this episode helpful, then please share it — or let me know how you’ve used authenticity to succeed in your own business.
During this episode, you will hear Jacob talk about:
- Discovering his entrepreneurial spirit at five years old
- Pivoting from a full-time salaried job to the world of freelancing and business ownership
- His decision to change the type of clients he works with -- and the small but meaningful changes he made to lean into his authenticity as an entrepreneur and attract the clients he wanted to work with
- The biggest challenges faced by the entrepreneurs that he coaches
- The power of being authentic in your business as an entrepreneur
- How shifting from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset has helped his personal and professional life
Connect with Jacob on his website www.jacobratliff.com and on Facebook.
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Minda Harts is the CEO of The Memo LLC and the award-winning and best-selling author of “The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table.” In 2020, Minda was named the #1 Top Voice for Equity in the Workplace by Linkedin. She’s been featured on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Fast Company, The NY Times, and Time Magazine, to name a few. Minda also speaks on topics like managing diverse teams, courageous leadership, and advancing women of color in the workplace.
During this episode, you will hear Minda talk about:
- How her own experience with job-related trauma and racism inspired her to write a career book for women of color -- despite being told that there was no market for a book on this topic
- Some of the less-examined causes of “imposter syndrome” at work
- How to build your network in a hybrid workplace or fully remote workplace
- Why Minda uses the term “success partner” instead of ally -- and how managers and coworkers can be success partners for women of color at work
- What inspired the topics for her next two books: “Right Within: How to Heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace” and “You Are More Than Magic: The Black and Brown Girls' Guide to Finding Your Voice”
If you want to connect with Minda, you can find her on her official website, mindaharts.com, and follow her on LinkedIn.
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"Move forward. Step back and recalibrate. Move forward again." This is how Doug Stevenson, CEO of Story Theater International, has built a successful life and career as a storyteller, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach.
Doug is a masterful storyteller, but his true gift is helping people become engaging storytellers and unforgettable leaders. He is the author of Doug Stevenson’s Story Theater Method, and has delivered storytelling keynotes and workshops for leadership, sales, training, marketing, and HR teams in the US and in 17 other countries.
In this episode, Doug shares:
- How his background as an actor and real estate agent led him to his passion for public speaking and storytelling
- The stories in his own life that have led him to “move forward, step back and recalibrate, move forward again”
- The power of finding and sharing the meaningful moments in life, no matter how small
- How he teaches corporate leaders to tell stories that improve their performance and communications
- How the pandemic forced him to slow down and shift his approach to coaching, public speaking, and life in general
Contact Doug by visiting his website at www.storytelling-in-business.com or email him at deborah@dougstevenson.com. Mention the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast to get a free 20-minute consultation with Doug!
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After 28 years as a highly skilled employee, David Shriner-Cahn was told that his job was over. In spite of the immediate trauma and fear, he knew that as his next step, he’d rather work for himself and have more control over his destiny. That was in 2006.
Today, David is a thriving entrepreneur, podcaster and speaker. He guides high achieving professionals who yearn to impact the world with their knowledge and creativity by becoming successful consultants or coaches, following long careers as employees.
He also hosts two podcasts: Smashing the Plateau, which focuses on how to overcome roadblocks and generate long-term business success, and Going Solo, which explores how to reinvent yourself as an entrepreneur after a late-career job loss.
During this episode, you will hear David talk about:
- His career journey from engineer to entrepreneur
- His own experience with job loss -- and how he coped and moved forward from it
- How he learned about business development and marketing to be a more successful entrepreneur
- The origins of his two podcasts, Smashing The Plateau and Going Solo
- What he’s learned about success in self-employment, from his personal experience and the entrepreneurs he’s interviewed and coached
Listen to David's podcasts at Smashing the Plateau and Going Solo.
Connect with David on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
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Corinna Bellizzi is a natural products industry executive and social benefit entrepreneur. In her professional life as the head of marketing and sales for her clients, she champions social benefit programs to enhance brand development and company impact.
In January 2021 she launched her show, “Care More. Be Better: A Social Impact + Sustainability Podcast” to amplify the efforts of inspired individuals and conscious companies. Through Care More. Be Better, she shares their stories in an effort to show us all that one person with one idea can have a big impact. No subject is off limits -- as she covers topics from refugee relief to payday lending and everything in-between.
During this episode, you will hear Corinna talk about:
- How she wanted to create an impact on the world with her podcast
- The “Calls to Action” she includes for her listeners on her podcast
- How important it is to donate time and skills to organizations
- Why it is important to connect with others, even if they are far away
- How her podcast helped her stay connected during the pandemic
- Her future plans for her podcast as the world begins to open back up
To find out more about Corinna and her podcast, visit www.caremorebebetter.com or her social media links:
Clubhouse
YouTube
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Linda Maloney served 20 years in the Navy and was one of the first women in U.S. history in 1993 to join a combat military flying squadron. She was designated a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) and is the recipient of numerous military awards, including the distinguished air medal for combat. She also was the first woman to eject from a Martin Baker ejection seat from her A-6 aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean. She retired from the Navy in 2004 and started her second career as a defense contractor, author and business owner.
Linda is currently the CEO of Women Veteran Speakers, the first speaker’s agency of its kind that exclusively offers exceptional women military veterans as event speakers, trainers, coaches and facilitators. She is also the Project Director for the Proudly She Served project, which highlights women who serve or who have served in the U.S. military and tells their stories.
During this episode, Linda shares:
- Her story of ejecting from her aircraft
- What it was like being one of the first women in a combat military flying squadron
- Her transition from the Navy to business ownership
- What inspired the Proudly She Served project, and how it honors the service and stories of women military veterans
Learn more about Linda’s work at WomenVeteranSpeakers.com and ProudlySheServed.com and find her on LinkedIn.
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Kuda Biza is a serial entrepreneur who started his first company when he was 9 years old in Zimbabwe. Over the course of 10 years he has successfully launched 6 businesses. Currently, he is the co-founder & CMO of Nunbelievable, a socially-conscious baked goods company that donates meals for every box of cookies sold. He is also the co-founder of #ThisIsMyEra, a personal development brand, and Signables, a sports collectibles brand.
Kuda also founded the Amani Hope Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to empower underprivileged children by providing scholarships.
During this episode, you will hear Kuda talk about:
- How a desire for an ice cream as a child led him to fall in love with entrepreneurship
- How he picks the focus areas for his businesses
- Why it’s important for entrepreneurs to make mistakes they can learn from and take conscious risks every day
- How his non-profit organization aligns with the goals of his socially conscious businesses
Learn more about Kuda at his website www.SPEARMethod.com and follow him on Instagram @kudabiza.
Special offer: Use the code BEYOND6SECONDS to get 20% off your cookie purchase at nunbelievable.com! For every box of cookies you purchase, Nunbelievable will donate a meal to someone in need.
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Chien-Chi Huang is the founder of the Asian Breast Cancer Project and the Executive Director of Asian Women for Health, a peer-led, community-based network dedicated to advancing Asian women's health and wellbeing through education, advocacy and support.
During this episode, you will hear Chien-Chi talk about:
- How her personal experience with breast cancer inspired her to start the Asian Breast Cancer Project
- How Asian Women for Health has helped Asian women speak out about their experiences with racism and isolation during the pandemic
- Her own experience with racism – and how it led her to create the “Racism is a Virus” public service announcement video
- Her career journey in Taiwan and the United States, through advertising, video production and motherhood
- How “The Three Cs” method can help people interrupt their negative thinking and support their mental well-being
On June 5, 2021, join Chien-Chi at the Asian American Mental Health Forum! The event is free and open to all. Register at http://bit.ly/AAMHF2021
To find out more about Chien-Chi and Asian Women for Health, check out the resources below:
Website: www.asianwomenforhealth.org
Email: info@asianwomenforhealth.org
“Racism is a Virus” PSA (video) and other anti racism resources
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TW/CW: War, violent imagery, PTSD
Diana Oestreich is an activist, veteran, nurse, and relentless practitioner of peace. She is the founder of the Waging Peace Project, a movement activating everyday peacemakers to commit acts of courage for the sake of justice, rooted in relentless love. In her first book, “Waging Peace,” she shares her experience serving in Iraq as a combat medic and her choice to wage peace during wartime and after returning home.
During this episode, Diana shares:
- What it was like being deployed at age 23 to the “War on Terror,” as part of the Army National Guard
- What her daily life was like in Iraq as a combat medic
- The critical moment of conflict between her faith in God and her duty as a soldier that changed her forever -- and compelled her to wage peace in a place of war
- How her friendship with a local Iraqi woman changed how she thought about the “enemy”
- The challenges she faced after returning home, and why she was silent for many years about her experiences in Iraq
- How she learned to wage peace at home in the face of racism, violence and fear -- and how we can all wage peace in our communities to make a more beautiful world possible
You can learn more about Diana on her official website www.dianaoestreich.com, where you can buy an autographed copy of her book, “Waging Peace,” read her Waging Peace Manifesto and learn more about hosting a book club with Diana.
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Kevin Allen is a classically trained pianist, music producer, math teacher, guest speaker, entrepreneur and YouTuber. From spending 12 years working in the corporate world, to becoming a middle school math teacher, to really diving into music and content creation, Kevin has had a diverse and multi-creative career journey. He has been making music for about 15 years and just recently decided to begin sharing his content with the world through his podcast and YouTube channel.
During this episode, you will hear Kevin talk about:
- How he started making music as a young child, then rekindled his passion for music as an adult
- Why he created his YouTube channel, K_AL Experience
- The story behind his corporate career -- how he got his first job while still in college, the different roles he held, and his decision to move on to pursue teaching
- How he balances his teaching, tutoring business, and YouTube channel
- How networking has been critical to growing his career
- The multi-creative “dream guests” he’d like to interview on his show
You can find out more about Kevin and his work on his YouTube channel K_AL Experience, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and on his official website www.kalexperience.com.
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Hunter Hansen is an autistic content creator on YouTube and Instagram and a blogger on thelifeautistic.com. After discovering his autism in his late teens, Hunter tried to outgrow and suppress his autistic traits for years, until coming to terms and embracing his identity as an autistic adult. He has since turned that suppression into passion, advocating for greater understanding and appreciation of autism and autistic people. Hunter works for a major company as a business analyst and lives in the Denver area with his wife and three daughters.
During this episode, you will hear Hunter talk about:
- The origin of his blog -- and why he decided to shift his blog’s initial focus and start writing about his autism
- What inspired him to start The Life Autistic channel on YouTube
- His process for creating his videos -- and why he never runs out of idea topics
- How Instagram Reels helped him expand his audience further
- His advocacy goals for helping companies create better workplaces for autistic employees and get the most out of their autistic talent in a variety of jobs (not just coding and tech!)
Learn more about Hunter and follow his content on thelifeautistic.com blog, The Life Autistic YouTube channel, on Twitter, and on Instagram @the_life_autistic.
Also, here's the link to the “bricks” post on The Life Autistic blog that Hunter mentions during this episode.
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TW/CW: Mentions of domestic violence
Nichelle Walker is a passionate community service advocate who encourages people to take responsibility for doing things that matter within their local communities. She sees community service as a way to find local solutions to national and global problems. Nichelle is also a survivor of domestic violence; her experience further cultivated a need inside of her to give back to others.
During this episode, you will hear Nichelle talk about:
- How her passion for community service started at a young age
- How she believes that even the smallest actions can help the community
- How she learns from the girls that she mentors through BUILT BY GIRLS
- How her experience as a domestic violence survivor led her to change her life and help other people in similar situations
- The community service she has done on a national and global scale, in both the US and UK
- How community service has helped her make new connections and learn about different cultures, despite the isolation of the pandemic
- How her new photography business has opened up new ways for her to give back to her community
Learn more about Nichelle at her website, nichellewalker.myportfolio.com.
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Julia Ward is an actor and filmmaker whose award-winning documentary, in.clu.sion, is raising awareness about the authentic representation of people with disabilities in the media. Julia is also a senior in high school, and filmed in.clu.sion during lockdown in 2020.
During this episode, Julia shares:
- How her brother Spencer inspired her to film in.clu.sion
- The challenges and benefits of filming during lockdown -- including how she got interviews with actors Cole Sibus and Mat Fraser and director Peter Farrelly
- How her film discusses issues with the representation of people with disabilities in movies and television
- The reaction her film has received from the public
- Her goals and plans for the future
You can watch in.clu.sion on Amazon Prime and find out more about Julia on her official website.
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If your employees spent their workdays engrossed in colorful LEGO® bricks, what would you think?
If you're David Kokai, you'd probably think that business is good!
David founded a company devoted to the LEGO® secondary market when he left the corporate world to start WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB), a LEGO® parts dealer. WLWYB operates their breakthrough platform, MOCHUB, which allows LEGO® builders to share their work and make money with their creations.
WLWYB is a neurodiverse workplace that employs autistic people in key parts of their business, and recognizes that the diversity within their teams makes their company stronger.
During this episode, David and Lili talk about:
- How David’s interest in data science inspired him to start a LEGO®-focused business
- Why they decided to create a neurodiverse and autism-friendly work environment at their company
- How they recruit and employ autistic people in key parts of their business and build a work environment that is safe, effective and a great place to grow for all of their employees
- How they adjusted their business operations during the pandemic lockdown with almost no interruptions in orders
- Advice for people who want to start their dream company
To find out more about WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD, visit their official website wlwyb.com and connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also contact David and Lili through the contact us page on the WLWYB website.
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More about David Kokai, Founder of WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB):
David Kokai is the founder of WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB). He studied economics at the Corvinus University of Budapest (former University of Economics Budapest) and graduated from the University of Vienna.
He had been working in the IT sector at leading multinational companies for more than a decade in several managing roles based in Budapest and Vienna. After getting acquainted with the secondary market for LEGO® in 2010, he opened a LEGO® parts dealership called WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB). WLWYB's business innovation is that it has placed its operations in this segment in a unique way in the world based on strong data science, supporting key enterprise functions with a comprehensive, custom-developed business intelligence system; such as purchasing, inventory management, and pricing.
As a result of many years of systematic building, in addition to its position in the secondary market of LEGO®, WLWYB opened the world’s first marketplace in 2018 specializing in bespoke LEGO® creations, called MOCHUB. MOCHUB provides an opportunity for emerging and professional LEGO® builders to receive a royalty from the sale of the models they design. MOCHUB sold many thousands of bespoke LEGO® kits around the world in its first year of operation. After several years of work, the company became an autism friendly workplace in 2019.
Kevin M. Yates is a learning & development leader with a career spanning 20+ years, a sought-after expert in the field of learning measurement, a global public speaker and e-book author... and as a Black man living and working in the U.S., he sometimes feels he is mistakenly seen as a "unicorn."
On this episode, Kevin talks about what he means by “unicorn” and how it relates to his experiences as a Black man living and working in the United States. He speaks candidly about the impact of race in his professional and personal life. We also talk about how the racial and social justice movements of 2020 have further inspired Kevin to live in authenticity by being transparent about his whole self and experiences, because as he puts it, “living in duality is too much work.”
Find out more about Kevin on his website, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on YouTube.
Get your free copy of Kevin’s e-book, “L&D Detective Kit for Solving Impact Mysteries©”
Listen to my previous Beyond 6 Seconds interview with Kevin (episode 61) about how he created his dream career after a layoff.
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Elaine Montilla is an accomplished senior executive who has been an IT leader in higher education for two decades. As an immigrant, Latina, lesbian woman, Elaine has overcome many challenges to build her successful IT career. She is currently Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice President for Information Technology at The City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, a Forbes Technology Council member and contributor, and an AMA Women’s Leadership Center presenter.
Elaine is also a TEDx speaker and the founder of 5xminority.com, a company and social media brand dedicated to empowering women and minorities, especially in tech, with a mission to demonstrate how businesses can be powerful platforms for social change.
During this episode, you will hear Elaine talk about:
- What inspired her to start 5xminority.com
- Her story of moving from the Dominican Republic to New York and discovering her interest in IT while attending college, where she learned English and programming language at the same time
- How her first job working in a restaurant kickstarted her IT career
- The obstacles she overcome to build a successful IT career in the US as an immigrant, female, Latina, lesbian human being… and how she battled imposter syndrome while advancing in her career
- Why you can’t believe everything you think, and how challenging your own thoughts is critical to overcoming imposter syndrome and unconscious bias
- How important it is for your career development to "be comfortable being uncomfortable” and have difficult conversations
- Why it is important for leaders to admit their mistakes and to be vulnerable
Learn more about Elaine and her work at 5xminority.com and on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Watch Elaine’s TEDx talk: The Value of Mentoring Women and Minorities in Tech
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Courtney Stewart is the Founder and CEO of LipRevolt, a cosmetics brand specializing in lipstick that promotes social activism. Through LipRevolt, Courtney aims to inspire people to fight for what they believe in and to speak up for others. LipRevolt donates 15 percent of its net profits to organizations that support women’s rights, civil rights, and LGBTQ rights. Courtney started her career in public service after receiving her BA in Political Science from Spelman College and MS in Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy from American University.
Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of sexual assault and abuse, and an incident of racism and violence.
During this episode, you will hear Courtney talk about:
- How her personal experiences, the #metoo movement and the importance of using your voice inspired the creation of LipRevolt
- Why she decided to support nonprofits with her own business' profits
- How she learned to run a beauty business as a newcomer to the beauty industry
- Her future plans for LipRevolt, and why the month of March is significant to her
Find out more about LipRevolt on LipRevolt.com, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If there is a nonprofit that you want to see LipRevolt support, you can message your recommendation to the Instagram account.
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Heneka Watkis-Porter is an entrepreneur, coach, 5x author and international speaker. As the host of The Entrepreneurial You Podcast, she has interviewed Richard Branson, John Lee Dumas, Seth Godin and many other influencers. Heneka is also the creator of the Caribbean’s first virtual conference and expo: The Entrepreneurial You Virtual SME Conference & Expo. She hosts Leadercast events in Jamaica and writes for the Leadercast blog and Thrive Global.
During this episode, Heneka shares her experience and advice about what makes a leader worth following, including:
- What she learned about leadership from starting her own business
- The importance of sharing feedback and showing vulnerability as a leader
- Her experience with burnout, how she recovered, and why it’s important to make time for self-care (especially for leaders)
- How she gets opportunities to interview famous leadership experts on her podcast – and what makes their advice so powerful
- How mentors can help entrepreneurs and other leaders succeed
To learn more about Heneka and her work, you can find her on her official website henekawatkisporter.com where you can contact her directly on WhatsApp. You can also listen to her podcast, The Entrepreneurial You, and visit her social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Learn more about how to attend Heneka’s “Slow Down & Live: Health Is Wealth” summit in January 2021.
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On the Beyond 6 Seconds end of year episode for 2020, host Carolyn Kiel talks with fellow podcaster Laura Joyce Davis, the host of the Shelter in Place podcast. We discuss our experiences podcasting in 2020: how it has helped us cope with the challenges and isolation of this year, inspired our creativity, and allowed us to make connections and share powerful stories. Plus, we discover our mutual background in a cappella singing, and how it impacts the way we podcast!
Listen to Laura’s podcast, Shelter in Place, at shelterinplacepodcast.info.
Learn more about the things we reference during this episode:
- Goodnight America (song by Miko Marks)
- Podcast conferences: She Podcasts Live Conference and Werk It Festival
- The MetropoliTones (Carolyn’s a cappella singing group)
- Laura’s solo song from her a cappella group (Tangled Up in Blue) that was included in the Best of College A Cappella 2002 collection.
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Jenny Delacruz is a Haitian-American writer, a licensed counselor and the founder of Cobbs Creek Publishing. She is a wife and mom of 2 boys. Born and raised in New York, she has always been aware of the importance of diversity and how each person has a story that weaves back to generations.
Jenny’s passion for teaching her children about world history and current events led her to pursue writing and launch her own educational children’s book series. She has written 2 picture books, "Fridays With Ms. Mélange: Haiti" and "Momma, Can I Sleep with You Tonight?" which helps children cope with the impact of COVID-19. She recently released her first nonfiction book for adults called "How Was Your Summer? Fostering Critical Conversations with Students." It’s a guide for parents and teachers to nurture mental health in kids from grades K-12.
During this episode, you will hear Jenny talk about:
- How she wrote her first book for her son who wanted to learn more about Haiti, which led her to start Cobbs Creek Publishing
- Her advice on how to talk to kids about tough topics in an age-appropriate way
- How her youngest son inspired her to write “Momma, Can I Sleep with You Tonight?”
- How she uses social media to increase her books’ reach and accessibility
- Her future plans for writing and publishing
You can find out more about Cobbs Creek Publishing at cobbscreekpublishing.com, on Instagram, on YouTube, and on Facebook.
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"Are you happy in your heart?"
My next guest, Sarah Worlton, first began hearing this question while volunteering during a humanitarian expedition in Guatemala. More than a decade later, Sarah has led numerous humanitarian expeditions to villages in Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico and Nepal. She also hosts the "Are You Happy In Your Heart?" podcast, which was inspired by what her volunteer work has taught her about life, purpose and happiness.
On this episode, Sarah shares how her humanitarian work and the challenges of 2020 have helped her grow as a person and led her to become a public speaker, podcaster and life coach.
To find out more about Sarah and her podcast, visit her official website www.sarahjworlton.com or her Instagram @sjworlton.
Special offer: Through the end of 2020, Sarah is offering free 30-minute life coaching sessions for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners! Email her at sarah.worlton at gmail.com for more information.
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Click here for the episode transcript, including the poem that Sarah mentions in this episode.
Lena Cohen-Hawkins is an international speaker, powerhouse business consultant, three-time author, and corporate trainer. As a master’s level clinician and executive coach, Lena counsels people on how to access, understand, and regulate emotions, in order to excel in the real world and find fulfillment in their careers and personal lives. She has worked with companies like CBS, Prudential Financial, United Way and The United States Army, and has shared her story on the TED Talks stage.
During this episode, Lena and I talk about her third book, “Brilliant Resilience,” which was published in July 2020, including:
- How a surprise phone call from an old friend made her new book her passion project for 2020
- How she turned a major disappointment in her career into a new start
- How her self-awareness and faith allowed her to move forward in the face of trauma, loss and disappointment
- How sometimes, support comes from the most unlikely places
To find out more about Lena and her work, you can find her on her official website, lenacohen.com. You can also buy her book, “Brilliant Resilience”, on Amazon, and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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We often talk about "finding your passion" in life ... but what happens when you find your passion, and then you feel it fade away? Where do you go from there?
According to Ryan Mason, you find a different dream and make it come true.
Ryan is the Founder and CEO of two successful businesses. The first is Luxe Brand, America's leading luxury shoelace provider, which has been featured on Good Morning America, the NFL Network, in Foot Locker stores, and on more than 30 athletes and celebrities -- and the other is BizBuzz, which provides integrated marketing automation software and services for more than 250 small and medium-sized businesses. Yahoo recently named Ryan one of its Top 12 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2020.
During this episode, you will hear Ryan talk about:
- His promising early football career -- and why it came to an end during his college years
- How an Instagram post set him on the path to building his new creative business idea -- and the hard work and focus it took to make his idea a reality
- How Luxe Brand captured the attention of celebrities, the media and Foot Locker
- The people who have mentored and supported Ryan throughout his career journey
- How repeatable processes and unique marketing tactics helped Ryan's companies grow
To find out more about Ryan and his work, visit his official website or the websites for his companies Luxe Brand and BizBuzz. Additionally, you can connect with Ryan on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
Ryan's new book, The Digital Playbook, is now available for pre-order -- and for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners, he is offering free marketing tools to the first 100 people who preorder the book and fill out the "Get Started For Free" form on the BizBuzz website.
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Rebekah Bastian is the CEO & Co-founder of OwnTrail, an online platform that connects, mentors and empowers women as they share their personal and professional journeys and experiences. Previously, Rebekah was Vice President of Product and Vice President of Community and Culture at Zillow. She is the author of the book “Blaze Your Own Trail,” a contributor to Forbes and a frequent speaker on social impact, career navigation and corporate diversity.
During this episode, you will hear Rebekah talk about:
- How she grew her career at Zillow, and how her experiences there helped inspire her to write her book and create OwnTrail
- Why so many women are still not getting the mentoring support they need, and how OwnTrail helps address this problem by providing access to "micro-acts of mentorship" that women may not otherwise receive
- How OwnTrail is different from other online networking sites
- Why it’s important for women to share both their personal and professional journeys with each other
Find out more about OwnTrail at www.owntrail.com and on social media: @owntrail on Instagram, @OwnTrail on Twitter, @BlazeYourOwnTrail on Facebook and OwnTrail on LinkedIn.
Learn more about Rebekah at @rebekah.bastian on Instagram, @rebekah_bastian on Twitter, and Rebekah Bastian on LinkedIn.
Rebekah and Carolyn have published their own OwnTrails! See what they look like here and here.
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DeAndre Wilson is the creator of the Keep Rolling Campaign, a fundraising platform that commemorates his father’s life and helps nonprofits and families battling cancer who need some extra financial assistance. He is currently working on a documentary to tell his father’s story and his story, and describe his health transformation from rolling a 230-pound tractor tire around the city of Evansville, Indiana.
During this episode, DeAndre shares:
- The story behind the tractor tire, and how it became a way to honor his father's legacy
- How his "roll-arounds" have attracted both positive and negative attention
- How rolling the tire has helped him with his health transformation
- How he uses the attention he gets with the tire to raise cancer funding and awareness
Follow DeAndre, his fundraising campaigns, and learn more about his upcoming documentary with the links down below!
Twitter: @DeAndreDWilson and @keep_rolling812
Instagram: @deandredwilson
LinkedIn: DeAndre Wilson
Facebook: Keep Rolling Campaign
Check out the teaser clip for DeAndre’s upcoming documentary.
We're also on YouTube! Click here to watch the video of this interview.
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Is it ever too late to find and follow your passion? According to Connie Inukai, passion has no expiration date. At age 72, she calls herself a "Grandmapreneur.”
After retiring from her teaching career at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, Connie invented a product called Tip ‘n Split, a handheld device with magnifier, light, tip calculator, and bill splitter. Her book, "How I Got My Product on QVC, The Today Show, The View, and More...in Retirement" has helped inventors get publicity for their inventions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has used the time in lockdown to chronicle her life story for her grandchildren, and now helps others write their stories through her latest project, "Write Your Selfie."
During this episode, you will hear Connie talk about:
- The story behind the creation of the Tip 'n Split
- How she learned about inventing, and the challenges she faced with manufacturing
- How she got on QVC’s radar before she even had a prototype of the Tip ‘n Split
- Her family connection to a major historical event, and how she discovered she wasn't the only inventor in the family
- Why she believes that everyone should be able to tell their story
To find out more about Connie and her work, you can check out her website Grandmapreneurinventor.com and the websites for Tip ‘n Split and Write Your Selfie. Follow her on Instagram at @grandmapreneurinventor and she will follow you back!
You can also request a free PDF of Connie’s book by visiting the Write Your Selfie website and clicking the Contact menu. Be sure to mention that you are a Beyond 6 Seconds listener!
We're also on YouTube! Click here to watch the video of this interview.
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Bea Spadacini is an activist and writer whose goal is to promote peace and justice by elevating conversations about issues that are often underrepresented in the mainstream media. Originally from Italy, she has lived in the United States for over twenty years and has traveled to Africa and Asia as part of her communications work with humanitarian organizations. Currently she is the Executive Producer and Co-Host of the One in Four Podcast, which focuses on the re-entry process of people who have experienced incarceration.
On this episode, you will hear Bea talk about:
- How her work with Amnesty International made her aware of the issues of mass incarceration and police force against people of color in the U.S., particularly against Black and Latino men – and how it led her to create the One in Four Podcast to highlight the many issues facing formerly incarcerated people who are re-entering society
- The stories of resilience, humanity and community support that she shares on the One in Four Podcast -- and the importance of sharing these stories now
- The challenges of running, funding and marketing an independent podcast
Learn more about the One in Four Podcast at www.oneinfourpodcast.com, on Twitter @Bea_Spadacini and @oneinfourpodcast or by emailing podcastoneinfour at gmail.com.
You can also support the One in Four Podcast by making a donation or leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts.
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Angelica Goncalves is an adult who has lived with dyslexia all her life. She was diagnosed at the age of six. Growing up, people told her she would never succeed or achieve her goals, but with the support of her parents and constant determination, she proved those predictions wrong.
Born and raised in Canada, Angelica attended George Brown College and graduated in Architectural Technology. She worked in the retail/service industry for 13 years, was a personal trainer for 4 years, and currently works in the construction industry. She also hosts a podcast called “A Little Bit of Everything With Me!” Her goal is to show others with learning disabilities that they can achieve their goals too.
During this episode, Angelica shares her story of struggling, living and thriving with a learning disability, including:
- How she realized at a young age that she had a learning disability
- How her experiences at school hindered her rather than helped her
- How her parents helped her stay the course through her education
- How she finally found her way in the working world with careers that she is passionate about
- Why she created her podcast and how it helped her meet more people like herself
You can find out more about Angelica and her work on her official website, www.everythingwithange.com. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Tiffani Teachey is a Senior Mechanical Engineer, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) advocate, professional speaker, and author of the children's book “What Can I Be? STEM Careers from A to Z.” She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management, both from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As an engineer with more than fifteen years of experience, Tiffani has a passion for inspiring the next generation to engage in STEM careers.
On this episode, you will hear Tiffani talk about:
- What inspired her to write a children’s book about STEM careers
- How she chose STEM careers to match with each letter of the alphabet, and how the “STEM Crew Kids” help children see themselves in each career
- What it’s like to get classrooms of young kids excited about STEM careers
- Her future writing plans for teenagers and young adults
If you want to know more about Tiffani and her work, you can check her out on her official links down below!
Website: www.tiffaniteachey.com
FaceBook: @tiffaniteacheyauthor
FaceBook Group “STEM Books for Kids”: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STEMBooksforKids/
Instagram: @tiffaniteachey
Twitter: @tiffaniteachey
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Denayja Reese is an event strategist, producer & writer who has worked on campaigns with Uber, the San Francisco Giants, Live Nation and Airbnb, as well as on content production at Coachella. Her full-service event production company, Girl With That Laugh Productions, has worked on events including the A3C Festival & Conference and BlackTech Week.
During this episode, Denayja talks about:
- How she decided to become an entrepreneur
- Overcoming her challenges with self-esteem, mental health and addiction to build a brighter future for herself
- The book she’s been writing during quarantine about her own life story
- What it takes to make positive changes in your life
Learn more about Denayja and her work on her website at gwtlp.com and connect with her on Instagram @girlwiththatlaugh.
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Jonathan Javier is the CEO and Founder of Wonsulting, a career consulting company whose mission is to turn underdogs into winners: helping those who come from non-target schools and non-traditional backgrounds get their dream careers at top companies. By leveraging his experience in Strategy & Operations at Google, Snap, & Cisco, and his successful LinkedIn networking strategies, he has provided advice on LinkedIn and through more than 75 speaking engagements in 4 different countries.
On this episode, you will hear Jonathan talk about:
- How he used his LinkedIn network to get job interviews at top companies after graduating from college -- and how he made powerful impressions during the interviews to get hired
- How important it is for job seekers to actually ask for help from fellow professionals and recruiters
- How Wonsulting helps students and professionals get into their dream companies
To get in contact with Jonathan, you can find him on LinkedIn. You can also find out more about Wonsulting at www.wonsulting.com, on Instagram @wonsulting, on LinkedIn or by emailing hello@wonsulting.com.
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Marcia Moran was a successful business strategist who had been building her business over the last 20+ years. She thought she had life by the tail, but little did she know what was in store.
After suffering a major stroke in 2014 at the age of 53, Marcia applied her skills in planning and strategy as she strived to become whole. In 2019 she published a book about her experience called "Stroke FORWARD," to bring hope to stroke survivors and their caretakers, and share how becoming her own health advocate and exploring holistic methods for healing were keys to her recovery. Marcia speaks and shares her message of hope, inspiration, healing, and a way forward across the country.
During this episode, you will hear Marcia talk about:
- Her experience with her stroke and the challenges she faced during her recovery
- How her husband Jim became her health advocate until she was eventually able to advocate for herself
- How holistic health methods helped her recover from aphasia
- How her book can help stroke survivors and caretakers navigate life after a stroke
To find out more about Marcia and her work, you can check out her official site at strokeforward.com, including some special bonuses for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners! You can also purchase her book here and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Dan Ram is a 3x entrepreneur, prolific speaker, recording artist and startup coach. The son of an Indian diplomat, he draws inspiration from his eclectic background growing up in 10 countries, and he has actively worked on 5 continents.
Dan is a founder, investor and coach to more than 100 startups in multiple countries. He has advised the Irish National Government on their Entrepreneurship Policy, consulted for multinationals, hosted some of the largest startup events on the planet, mentored at accelerators and facilitated deal flows for investors. He lectures on entrepreneurship and is a regular speaker and emcee in the local and international startup circuit. He has shared the stage with some of the most influential changemakers in the world.
On this episode, you will hear Dan talk about:
- How curiosity, consistency and excellence have helped him refine his talents over the years
- How his first big event-hosting opportunity came as a result of a previous failure
- Why being an introvert is a superpower, and why “nerves” on stage are a good thing
- How he gets speaking gigs (hint: it’s not through pitching!)
- How his philosophy of “start now start simple” has had a profound impact on people
- Why he doesn’t have any clear-cut goals – and what drives him instead
Learn more about Dan and his work on iamdanram.com and through his social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube!
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Click here for the episode transcript.
Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠.
On this episode, you will hear Jennifer talk about:
- How her background in nonprofit work, opera singing and off-Broadway theater performance led to her career in training & development
- How a corporate layoff led her to reposition herself in her career and start her own diversity & inclusion consulting firm
- What to do if you feel like your career or your workplace might not be a match for you
- The damaging impact of bias and stereotypes on individuals and businesses, and what leaders can do about it
- Her own experience with “bringing her full self to work” as an LGBTQ+ woman
- Her belief that everyone has a diversity story, and how this realization can lead to more inclusive conversations
If you want to know more about Jennifer and her work, here are other links you can check out!
- JenniferBrownConsulting.com (Business website)
- JenniferBrownSpeaks.com (Personal website)
- Book Website: How To Be an Inclusive Leader (or purchase the book on Amazon)
- The Will to Change Podcast (on Apple Podcasts)
- Instagram: @jenniferbrownspeaks
- Twitter: @jenniferbrown
Click here for the episode transcript.
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Today I get to talk with one of my most favorite comedians ever, John Heffron! John is a stand up comedy veteran and winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing season two. His latest comedy album is called Episodes, and he just published a new spy thriller book called The Holding Deal. He also has a new podcast called Kid With a Cape.
On this episode we talk about the impact of COVID-19 on the comedy world (and life in general), what inspires John’s comedy, and tips for writing a great book even if you are not a great writer.
You can find links to all of John’s social media, his book, podcast, album and more on his LinkTree site.
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Wayne Baker is the author of the new book “All You Have To Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success.” He is the Robert P. Thome Professor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and Faculty Director of the Center for Positive Organizations. Wayne is also a cofounder and board member of Give and Take, Inc., the developers of the Givitas platform based on the principles in his new book.
On this episode, you will hear Wayne talk about:
- How his research led him to realize that the main obstacle that prevents people from getting the help they need, is their willingness (or unwillingness) to ask for help
- The importance of asking for what you need to developing your career and finding success in your life
- Some examples of how he has asked for help
- The importance of maintaining human connection in the time of COVID-19
You can connect with Wayne on LinkedIn and learn more about his book at AllYouHaveToDoIsAsk.com.You can also find out more about the Givitas platform here as well.
Click here for the episode transcript.
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Harris Rosen is the President & Chief Operating Officer of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. He is Florida's largest independent hotelier, having built a portfolio of eight hotels in Orlando, with close to 7,000 guestrooms, over the course of 45 years.
He is also a philanthropist who has created and funded initiatives to support local Orlando communities, including a program to provide free preschool and college scholarships to the youth of Tangelo Park, and a similar initiative in the downtown Orlando Parramore district. He has been honored with the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. Award for his impact on Tangelo Park, and he believes that the successes of these local initiatives provide a template for uplifting America, one community at a time.
Also joining us today is Chuck Dziuban, Director of the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness at the University of Central Florida, who works with Harris on the Tangelo Park project.
During this episode, you will hear Harris and Chuck talk about:
- Harris’s first hotel job as a young boy, and the chance meeting with two famous celebrities that made him decide he wanted to pursue a career in hospitality
- How Harris grew his career by pursuing opportunities all around the country and even internationally, including managing a property in Mexico and working for Disney in their hotel division
- The story behind Harris’ purchase of his first hotel property
- The ingenious way that Harris secured business for his hotel during the oil crisis of the mid-1970s
- How Harris began his philanthropy with the Tangelo Park project
- Why Harris and Chuck believe that expanding this program to other communities would have a powerful impact on American society
Find out more about the Tangelo Park Program here, and more about The Harris Rosen Foundation here.
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Arlan Hamilton is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a fund dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Started from scratch in 2015, Backstage has now raised more than $10 million and invested in more than 130 startup companies led by underestimated founders. Arlan’s brand new book "It's About Damn Time" was published on May 5, 2020.
On this episode, you will hear Arlan talk about:
- What inspired her to share her life lessons and practical guidance in her new book
- How she built her own venture capital company, despite not having the background, network or resources of a typical venture capitalist
- Why she decided to focus her financial investments on underrepresented founders
- How new entrepreneurs have a unique advantage during the current crisis – and how established entrepreneurs can get themselves “unstuck”
- Success stories from the start-ups that Arlan has invested in, including CurlMix (a subscription box for do-it-yourself hair products), Paladin (a pro bono platform for lawyers to increase access to justice), and Bippy (an eco-friendly personal wellness brand)
Learn more about Arlan and order your copy of "It's About Damn Time" at itsaboutdamntime.com.
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Rahkim Sabree is an author, speaker, and nonprofit co-founder specializing in personal finance and mentoring. He recently released his second book entitled "Financially Irresponsible" and delivered a TEDx talk in December 2019 on Financial Empowerment.
On this episode, you will hear Rahkim talk about:
- His early experiences with learning about finances, and how he started his financial services career at a young age
- Why he called his book “Financially Irresponsible,” and how it helps people become more financially literate
- How he believes that millennial behavior is changing the way people work and generate wealth
- Why having the right mindset about your finances is the first step to becoming financially empowered
- How his passions for financial education and mentorship fuel the mission of his non-profit, An Extended Hand Inc., to help empower and educate those who are at risk of or currently impacted by homelessness
You can find Rahkim on his website at www.RahkimSabree.com, buy his book Financially Irresponsible on Amazon, and connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Click here to read the full episode transcript.
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Toni Coleman Brown is an author, small business strategist and online marketing expert, with a focus on email lead generation and sales conversion. She is the founder of the Network for Women in Business, an online educational platform that teaches female entrepreneurs her signature small business success program, as well as the host and creator of two popular live events: The Small Business Bootcamp for Women and the Online Marketing Mastermind Live.
On this episode, you will hear Toni talk about:
- How she taught herself internet marketing with a hands-on approach, which included creating lead capture pages and running Google Ads
- The value of communicating with your customers regularly through email
- Why she created a business bootcamp focused on helping women succeed with their online marketing
- How she has found balance between her corporate job and her side businesses
- Her perspective as a solo entrepreneur
You can find Toni at thenetworkforwomeninbusiness.com and tonicolemanbrown.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest as well!
Click here to read the full episode transcript.
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Garrison Redd is a TEDx speaker, para-powerlifter, model, dancer, and most of all, an advocate for disabled rights. He founded an organization called “TheGarrisonReddProject” to provide resources and services that improve the well-being of disabled individuals.
On this episode, Garrison shares:
- Why he left his government job to start his own organization
- The job searching challenges faced by many people with disabilities
- How he realized his impact as a positive role model for the younger generation
- How he discovered his talent for competitive para-powerlifting
- How he controls his fear when doing something new or challenging
You can follow Garrison on Instagram @garrisonredd to see his workout videos and other fun & motivating posts, connect with him on LinkedIn and learn more about TheGarrisonReddProject at www.thegarrisonreddproject.org.
Click here to read the episode transcript.
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Hira Ali is the CEO of Advancing Your Potential, Managing Director of International Women Empowerment Events, Founding Director of Career Excel, and Co-Founder of The Grey Area. Her leadership and coaching articles have been published in The Huff Post, Thrive Global, Women @ Forbes, Ellevate Network, Entrepreneur, and many more.
In her new book, “Her Way to the Top: A Guide to Smashing the Glass Ceiling”, Hira highlights the roadblocks impeding a woman’s climb to the top, irrespective of her culture and geography. She is passionate about empowering women and ethnic minorities and is a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
During this episode, you will hear Hira talk about:
- Why she started creating female empowerment events while working in HR in Pakistan
- The survey she conducted to understand the challenges that women and ethnic minorities face globally – and her advice for combating these challenges
- How she was able to restart her business and build her reputation online after moving from Dubai to London
- How she makes authentic connections with the influencers she admires – many of whom have reviewed her book and shared her blog posts
You can find out more about Hira on her website, www.AdvancingYourPotential.com, and connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Her book “Her Way to the Top" is available for purchase in print and as an ebook.
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Jeremy Miller is a brand strategist, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the founder of Sticky Branding, a brand building agency. His first book, also called Sticky Branding, is a playbook for how small- and mid-sized companies challenge the giants of their industry to grow their brands.
In October 2019, Jeremy published his latest book, Brand New Name, which provides a proven, step-by-step process to create an unforgettable name for anything — a brand, company, product, service, or idea — by unlocking the creative genius of teams.
During this episode, you will hear Jeremy talk about:
- His introduction to the world of branding through a crisis in his family business
- How your team is a secret weapon for creating a new name for your company
- Why people in companies are afraid to be creative
- The problem with “personal branding”
Learn more about Jeremy’s work at the Sticky Branding website and connect with him on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. His books Sticky Branding and Brand New Name are available on Amazon.
A full episode transcript is available here.
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Jessica Inserra is a Los Angeles based stand-up comedian whose irreverent humor explores, among other things, themes from her life as a gay woman growing up in a colorful New York Italian family. Jessica recently commemorated 25 years of being out, having burst through the closet doors at the tender age of 14. Now she can be seen performing her unique brand of brash, edgy comedy at The Comedy Store, as well as other venues in and around Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle and beyond. She is currently working on her own stand-up special entitled, “Jessica Inserra, Pretty Gay.”
On this episode, you will hear Jessica talk about:
- What inspired her to pursue stand-up comedy, after more than a decade of managing a plastic surgeon’s office (which is still her full-time job!) -- and how she balances her job with pursuing her comedy passion
- Her experience working with legendary comedian Gerry Katzman in his stand-up comedy class -- and how she overcame constant fear and self-doubt as she developed and practiced her material
- How she feels about finding success at the beginning of her career and being able to meet her comedy idols
- How being "familiar” and feminine as a gay woman has helped her both in her comedy and her life
You can follow Jessica on Instagram at @jessinserra and on her website, www.prettygay.net.
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Mario Armstrong is a two-time Emmy Award Winner, Digital Lifestyle Expert, entrepreneur, TV Host, public speaker, and motivator for the modern world, who delivers tactical advice to inspire people to take action towards pursuing their goals, dreams and passions.
He’s the Host of the Never Settle Show, an NBC TODAY Show Contributor, appears on Dr. Oz, Steve Harvey, NPR, Inside Edition & more, and is a public speaker with Daymond John’s Shark Group’s Speaking Division.
Mario’s new daily podcast, entitled “Wake Up and Level Up,” kickstarts your day in under 5 minutes with a jolt of inspiration, advice and personal growth formulas. It recently became a Top 200 podcast on the iTunes Self-Help charts and is in the top 10% of all podcasts around the country.
On this episode, you will hear Mario talk about:
- How he became interested in Digital Technology as a child
- How his “3-ask” question formula has helped him (and others) accelerate their success
- How he balanced his first radio job with his full time job
- His career journey that led him to become a featured correspondent on national TV – but still presents obstacles that he must overcome
- How he keeps moving forward in the face of "No"
- His advice for managing your fears and achieving your dreams
You can find Mario on www.neversettle.tv, on the Never Settle Network YouTube Channel, on Instagram at @marioarmstrong and on his podcast Wake Up and Level Up. Be sure to let him know that you heard him on Beyond 6 Seconds!
A full episode transcript is available here.
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Sydney Nanberg defied the conventional expectations of society by dropping out of college -- and then went on to build a six-figure marketing business by the young age of 20. Now Sydney teaches others how to better their lives with self-care, mindset, and entrepreneurship.
Sydney's journey has been amazing, but certainly not easy. On this episode, she shares:
- How failing a college test led her to completely change her course in life
- How her challenges with mental health and being bullied influenced her mindset
- How getting out of her comfort zone improved her life
- How she learned the key skills she needed to start and grow her own successful marketing agency
Learn more about Sydney through her blog and her podcast, She Did It. You can also contact her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and through her marketing agency, Digital Maverick.
A full episode transcript is available here.
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Ginni Saraswati is an award-winning journalist, radio personality and celebrity interviewer with a unique brand of comedy that includes quick-witted introductions and on-air antics. She's the founder of Ginni Media, a boutique podcast production company, and the host of the podcast, The Ginni Show.
On this episode, Ginni talks about:
- Her transition from working behind the scenes at an Australian radio station to becoming an on-air media personality
- What it was like moving from her native Sri Lanka to Australia at a young age
- How her large family life influences her radio work and her comedy
- How her family reacted when they unexpectedly discovered she was gay
- Her experiences interviewing celebrity guests -- including the time she made Paula Abdul crack up with laughter!
Follow Ginni on Facebook and @theginnishow on Instagram and Twitter, and listen to The Ginni Show podcast at www.theginnishow.com. To learn more about Ginni Media, visit www.ginnimedia.com to see what production services the company offers and download free resources for starting your own podcast.
A full episode transcript is available here.
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Welcome to a special mini episode of Beyond 6 Seconds! I recorded this episode from She Podcasts Live, the first conference of its kind for women podcasters, which took place in October 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.
While I was here surrounded by so many talented podcasters, I wanted to learn more about their experiences… so I caught up with 6 podcasters at the conference and asked them one question:
“What’s the most meaningful experience you’ve had as a result of having your podcast?”
In this episode, you’ll hear the answers from these six podcasters:
- Elikqitie: Travel Gluten Free Podcast
- www.travelglutenfreepodcast.com
- @TravGlutenFree on Twitter
- @travelglutenfreepodcast on Instagram
- Alysa Lucas:
- Best Forevers - A Podcast for Kindred Spirits: bestforeverspod.libsyn.com ; @bestforeverspod on Twitter and Instagram
- Fataliteas: fataliteas.libsyn.com ; @fataliteaspod on Twitter and Instagram
- Elaine: Angus Eye Tea
- anguseyetea.com
- @anguseyetea on Twitter and Instagram
- Danielle: Everybody’s National Parks
- www.everybodysnationalparks.com
- @EverybodysNPs on Twitter
- @everybodysnationalparks on Instagram
- Chrisella Herzog:
- Utah Podcast Summit: www.utahpodcastsummit.com ;
@PeakPodcastsUT on Twitter, @utahpodcastsummit on Instagram - Lonely Ladypreneur: directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/85445 ;
@ladypreneurspod on Twitter, @lonelyladypreneur on Instagram - Dot Citizen: dotcitizen.libsyn.com ; @DotCitizenPod on Twitter
- Utah Podcast Summit: www.utahpodcastsummit.com ;
- Coach Christine – Your Empty Nest Coach:
- youremptynestcoach.com
- @emptynestcoach on Twitter and Instagram
I'd love to hear from you!
- Are you a podcaster? What’s been the most meaningful thing that’s happened because of your podcast?
- Are you thinking of starting a podcast? What dreams do you have for it?
Go to my Facebook group and let me know! www.facebook.com/groups/beyond6seconds
Sign up for my free newsletter and receive my free checklist for getting started with your own podcast!
Beyond 6 Seconds is taking a short break for the rest of December, but we’ll be back in January with more extraordinary stories from everyday people. In the meantime, you can catch up on any episodes you may have missed by visiting www.beyond6seconds.com. Have a great rest of 2019, and we’ll see you in January 2020!
This week's guest is Josh Stine, the co-founder and CEO of Seat Insiders, an event ticket concierge agency serving companies and individuals around the world. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Josh worked in cyber security and management consulting at PwC. Josh has also started several other successful side hustles over the past four years, but he has turned his focus solely to Seat Insiders since its founding.
On this episode, you will hear Josh talk about:
- His journey from Big 4 consulting to the ticketing industry
- How the changes in the ticketing industry are beneficial for both fans and artists alike
- How building international relationships has created opportunities for fans to go to events around the world
You can contact Josh on www.seatinsiders.com and by email at josh@seatinsiders.com. You can also learn more about Seat Insiders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Special offer for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners: Seat Insiders is giving five listeners a free 1-year concierge membership (a $240 value)! To claim this offer, go to www.seatinsiders.com, click the contact us link, and fill out the contact form -- be sure you mention Beyond 6 Seconds in your message!
Become a Beyond 6 Seconds Insider today and receive our free checklist for getting started with your own podcast!
Miracle Olatunji is a college student, entrepreneur, and author of “Purpose: How To Live and Lead With Impact.” In high school, she founded OpportuniMe, an award-winning education organization which democratizes access to summer experiential learning opportunities for high school students.
On this episode, Miracle shares:
- How her own struggle with finding summer opportunities in high school lead her to create OpportuniMe
- How she balances her life as a full time college student and entrepreneur
- What inspired her to write her book, “Purpose: How To Live and Lead With Impact”
You can find Miracle on Twitter at @mirolatunji, on Instagram at @miracleolatunji, and on LinkedIn.
Special offer for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners: If you Venmo $12 to @MiracleO, and email miracle.e.olatunji@gmail.com with your mailing address, she will mail you a signed copy of her book!
Become a Beyond 6 Seconds Insider today and receive our free checklist for getting started with your own podcast!
Full Bio:
Miracle Olatunji is a student, entrepreneur, innovation director, and author of Purpose: How To Live and Lead With Impact. In high school, she founded OpportuniMe, an award-winning education organization which democratizes access to summer experiential learning opportunities that enable high school youth to develop life and leadership skills, cultivate their passions, become socially conscious, and build their network. Through OpportuniMe, hundreds of youth have been able to find and secure incredible opportunities. Miracle is a passionate advocate for access to opportunities because she has seen firsthand how even just one opportunity, connection, or resource can change the trajectory of someone’s life!
Miracle served as a member of the advisory board for the Diamond Challenge, one of the world's largest entrepreneurship programs for high school students.
While in her sophomore year at Northeastern University, she is the Director of Innovation at Thrive, a student organization which empowers college students through financial literacy programs and supports student-led entrepreneurial ventures in personal finance and financial technology. She hosts an event series that provides actionable advice and strategies for young women on building their net worth, self worth, and network.
Miracle is also a volunteer on the programming team for Startup Boston 2019.
Miracle has been honored as a Young Global Leadership Scholar, Youth Entrepreneur Of The Year, a ‘Woman To Watch’, one of The Root 25 Young Futurists & Changemakers, and grand prize winner of the World Series of Entrepreneurship. She has been featured in Forbes, Thrive Global, Technical.ly, The Female Lead, and other leading publications. Miracle was also selected as one of America’s Amazing Teens by the AAT Project, which identifies exceptional youth who are changing the world.
Citing Oprah Winfrey, Sallie Krawcheck, and Tiffany Pham as her top role models, Miracle firmly believes in the importance of giving back, mentorship, and empowering others. She hopes to one day start a foundation that grants scholarships and grants to underrepresented young leaders and changemakers.
This week’s episode features Michael Basagre, who founded and runs a career coaching service and blog called Momettas while he works as a packaging consultant in New Zealand. Momettas focuses on helping young adults between the ages of 15 and 30 succeed as they transition out of key life milestones such as leaving school or university, getting their first job or looking for that next step in their career. In addition, Michael is dedicated to helping people discover a passion for personal development by helping uncover their core values.
On this episode, you can hear Michael talk about:
- How his passion for helping others became his side hustle
- How he balances his energy between family, a full-time job, and Momettas
- How living out your core values can help you find career success
- The unusual technique Michael uses to help his clients uncover their core values
- Why he encourages his clients to talk about their core values in job interviews
- The importance of keeping your core values in mind as you develop your own business or creative projects
You can learn more about Michael on the Momettas website, www.momettas.com, and blog, www.momettas.com/blogs. If you are between the ages of 15 – 30 and would like some career coaching, feel free to contact Michael at michael@momettas.com for one free coaching session (and mention that you heard him on the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast)!
The Seven Fundamental Tools that Michael uses with his coaching clients:
- Self-Awareness
- Change of Mindset
- Decide what your core values are
- Build a solid character
- Begin believing
- Inspire personal change
- Encourage positive change through ongoing continuous improvement
On this episode, meet Meg He, the co-founder of ADAY, a direct-to-consumer clothing brand that creates versatile, long-lasting apparel with a sustainable approach. ADAY was recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company, and Meg was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list with her co-founder, Nina Faulhaber. Prior to ADAY, Meg worked at Poshmark, Cowboy Ventures and Goldman Sachs, and received degrees at Oxford University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
On this episode, you will hear Meg talk about:
- Her struggles and achievements as a Chinese immigrant living and going to school in Wales and in England
- Her career, which ranges from working in investment banking in London, to venture capital and technology in Silicon Valley, to her own start-up in New York City
- What inspired her to become an entrepreneur and innovate within the fashion and apparel industry
You can find ADAY online at www.thisisaday.com, on Facebook, Twitter, and at their showroom in New York City.
Nir Eyal writes, consults and teaches about behavior design and habit formation -- at the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He has been dubbed “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology” by the MIT Technology Review, has founded two tech companies since 2003 and has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford.
Nir is also the author of the bestselling book, “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products” and a brand new book called “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.”
On this episode, you will hear Nir talk about:
- What really causes distraction (Hint: it’s not technology!)
- How we use distraction as a coping mechanism for escaping discomfort
- How planning and timeboxing can help you avoid distraction (and why to-do lists are a myth)
- How to become indistractable at work
For more information about Indistractable:
- Order the book and get bonus content at www.indistractable.com
- Download the free distraction guide and timeboxing schedule maker tool
You can also read more of Nir’s writing on his blog at www.nirandfar.com.
A full episode transcript is available here.
Carly Fiorina began her career as a secretary for a nine-person real-estate business, and eventually became the first woman ever to lead a Fortune 50 company as the CEO of Hewlett Packard. Her amazing career even includes running for the U.S. presidency in 2015.
Now, Carly is the founder and chairman of Carly Fiorina Enterprises and of Unlocking Potential, a nonprofit organization that helps local leaders increase their leadership and problem-solving capabilities.
Carly is also a best-selling author. She shares her amazing leadership journey and lessons learned in her third book, “Find Your Way,” which was released in early 2019.
During this podcast episode, Carly shares:
- Examples of how she learned to problem-solve early in her career
- How she faced her fear and overcame bullies in the workplace
- Why she wrote her latest book, “Find Your Way”
- How she helps leaders build and practice their leadership skills
- How she selects the leaders who she interviews on her podcast, “By Example”
You can find more information about Carly’s work on her website, www.carlyfiorina.com, and learn more about "By Example," her podcast where she interviews extraordinary leaders about their experiences and lessons that listeners can learn from.
A full episode transcript is available here.
On this episode, you'll meet Tabitha Cavanagh, creator of the #StrongAssMindset hashtag on social media, and a co-chair of the Never Too Young Advisory Board for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.
After facing an unexpected colon cancer diagnosis at a young age, Tabitha joined the field of recruiting, where she discovered her passion for bringing the right people together for the right opportunities at the right time, and helping others create intentional and meaningful mindsets.
You can find Tabitha on LinkedIn and through her hashtags, #TabTheRecruiter and #StrongAssMindset.
After working as a corporate marketing executive for over twenty years, Ajay Prasad decided to become his own boss. In 2004, he left the corporate world and started GMR Web Team, a digital marketing agency. After switching the focus of the business to healthcare, Ajay now works with healthcare providers to improve their online presence and increase their base of patients. Since then, Ajay has also become a serial entrepreneur: he has founded RepuGen, an online reputation software for healthcare businesses, and GMR Transcription, a transcription company.
On this episode, you will hear from Ajay about how he develops his employees’ careers, what he looks for when he hires people, how he identifies the right clients, and how his experience in the corporate world compares to entrepreneurship.
You can find Ajay on LinkedIn, and on Twitter @ajayprasad_. You can also find more information about his companies at www.gmrwebteam.com, www.repugen.com, and www.gmrtranscription.com.
Marsha Guerrier is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, business analyst and coach, and CEO of Women on the Rise NY, Inc., a small business consulting agency. Marsha also has a full-time career in Financial Technology spanning over 20 years working for Fortune 500 and startup firms, working in areas of Quality Assurance, Business Analysis and Product Management.
On this episode, Marsha shares how Women on the Rise NY provides women who work full time jobs with the community and resources to build their own businesses. She talks about how her coaching helps women entrepreneurs develop strategies that improve their Mindset, Money, Marketing and Media – and how they can increase their revenue by applying structure and organization to their businesses.
Join Marsha at the 6th Annual Women on the Rise Forum & Expo (October 18-19, 2019 in New York City) for:
- A mastermind day full of hands-on training for entrepreneurs, including revenue planning and email automation
- Panel discussions on Mindset, Money, Marketing and Media
- A “kidpreneur” workshop where mothers and daughters can learn basic steps of entrepreneurship
Learn more about Women on the Rise on the web at www.womenontheriseny.com , on Instagram @womenontherisenetwork , Twitter @wotrnetwork , or Facebook at womenontherisenetwork .
Marsha’s full bio:
Marsha Guerrier is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, business analyst and coach, and CEO of Women on the Rise NY, Inc. a small business consulting agency. Marsha has a full-time career in the Financial Technology spanning over 20 years working for Fortune 500 and startup firms, working in areas of Quality Assurance, Business Analysis and Product Management. Marsha is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Yva Jourdan Foundation, Inc. a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families with children with special needs and women entrepreneurs. Marsha holds a Bachelors of Science in Business, Management and Economics.
Through Women on the Rise NY, Inc. she provides 1 on 1 coaching and a business mastermind group, as well as an annual Forum & Expo. She is available for panel discussions and workshops on Business Success Startup, Your Business and Your Brand and Developing a CEO Mindset.
Published Books:
-
Life Balance for the Women on the Rise
-
Business Success Strategies for Women on the Rise
-
Soaring Beyond the 9 to 5 for Women on the Rise (10/2019)
Forrest Schaffer is a “9-to-5er” at a digital marketing company and the founder of One Strong Herd, a fitness apparel and accessories brand and startup company.
Forrest talks about the twists and turns in his career path, which included leaving his 9-5 job to join a startup that recruited him – only to be fired 9 days later – and how he used his time during the aftermath to find his current job and grow his startup.
In addition to entrepreneurship, Forrest is passionate about the topics of personal finance and digital marketing. We talk about how he shares simple personal finance tools and advice for millennials on his YouTube channel, and how he uses digital marketing to market One Strong Herd. He even shares some great SEO tips for improving your search ranking on Google that you can apply to your own business!
Learn more about Forrest at the One Strong Herd website www.onestrongherd.com and Instagram @onestrongherd and on his personal Instagram @forrestschaffer.
Free gift for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners: Get 2 free audiobooks on Audible and free access for 1 month at amzn.to/2XAQSb9
On this episode I talk with Gail Tolstoi-Miller -- an award-winning dual CEO, experienced recruiter, author and global keynote speaker -- about unconscious bias in hiring. Having personally felt the impact of unconscious bias early in her life, she now works with her corporate clients to raise awareness of unconscious bias and helps job seekers combat unconscious bias and even use it to their advantage. Gail also gave a TEDx talk on unconscious bias in hiring and recently launched her online course about this topic on Udemy.
Gail shares her thoughts, insights and advice on:
- What unconscious bias is, and why everyone has it
- How unconscious bias shows up in the hiring process
- The personal experiences that solidified her desire to bust unconscious bias
- How she challenges her clients’ bias, starting with two simple words: "So What?"
- The drawbacks of cherry-picking diversity
- How affinity bias hinders creativity and innovation in an organization, and trickles down to their customers and clients
- What it was like preparing and presenting a TEDx talk, how it has helped her brand and business … and what to do when you forget part of your talk on stage
- What the dreaded word “overqualified” really means
- How job seekers can use unconscious bias to their advantage
Connect with Gail on LinkedIn, Facebook or via email at gmiller@consultnetworx.com , and check out her TEDx Talk and Unconscious Bias Course on Udemy.
Gail's full bio:
Gail Tolstoi-Miller is an award winning dual CEO. She is CEO of Consultnetworx, which provides recruiting, diversity and unconscious bias strategy services. In addition, she is CEO of Careernetwork, a career and business coaching organization. Gail is also the author of the award winning book "Networking Karma", a guide on how to network successfully with giving. Lastly, she is a global keynote speaker and gave an unhinged TEDx talk on Unconscious Bias in hiring.
Michelle Tillis Lederman, one of Forbes’ Top 25 Networking Experts, is the author of four books including the #1 new release, The Connector’s Advantage. She is also the CEO of Executive Essentials, which provides customized communications and leadership programs for Fortune 500, non-profit, university and government clients. She is well known for helping people connect, work better together and advance their individual impact.
On this episode, Michelle shares her career journey and valuable advice about networking, including:
- How she found her calling for coaching, communications and training while working in finance
- How she embraced opportunities to practice what she loved on the job, before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship
- Her experience as the only woman on the trading floor and global venture capital team
- The six types of relationships you need for a successful career and life
- How she evolved her work from a practice to a business
- The importance of having a clear “ask” when you’re networking and building relationships
- Tips for introverted networkers – and why they are often some of the best networkers out there!
Connect with Michelle at her website www.michelletillislederman.com and learn more about her latest book, The Connector’s Advantage – including some book bonuses, a BOGO offer (Buy One Gift One), and free gifts from Michelle for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners!
You can also find Michelle on social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Michelle’s full bio:
Michelle Tillis Lederman, CSP, PCC is known for her energetic, engaging, and authentic presentations. An expert on workplace communications and relationships, Michelle's mission is to help people work better together and advance their individual impact. She is an accomplished speaker, trainer, coach, and author of four books including the #1 new release The Connectors Advantage and the internationally recognized, The 11 Laws of Likability.
Michelle, named one of Forbes Top 25 Networking Experts, is a connection creator and CEO of Executive Essentials, which provides customized communications and leadership programs for fortune 500, non-profit, university and government clients. Her clients include JPMorgan, J&J, Deutsche Bank, Michigan State University, MetLife, Sony, Ernst & Young, the Department of Environmental Protection, and Madison Square Garden. Passionate about education, Michelle served as an Adjunct Professor at NYU, on the faculty of the American Management Association, Lehigh Executive Education, and Rutgers Executive Education.
A former finance executive and NYU Professor, Michelle is a regular in the media appearing on CBS, NBC, Fox, NPR, CNBC, the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, Working Mother, US News & World Report, MSNBC, Forbes and USA Today among many others.
Michelle spent a decade in finance with positions in audit, M&A, financial consulting, VC, and hedge fund investing. She received her BS from Lehigh University, her MBA from Columbia Business School, and her coaching certification from iPec and holds the PCC certification from the International Coaching Federation. Michelle earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation for the National Speakers Association. Executive Essentials is a certified Women Business Enterprise.
Jenny Watzka worked at a Big 4 consulting firm for three years before ditching her 9 to 5 (or in her case, 9 am to 10 pm) after the sudden death of her father. Surrounded by doubters and naysayers, she successfully built her own profitable consulting firm while traveling full time.
Jenny helps business owners around the world ditch the daily overwhelm and grow their companies through automated workflows, internal system development, effective leadership and communication training.
You can reach Jenny by email at hello@jennywatzka.com.
After working for years in the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors, Rachel Werner founded RBW Strategy, her women-owned consulting firm based in the Washington, DC Metro area. She’s an expert in the full lifecycle of grants activities, and currently provides fundraising, project management and strategic planning support to nonprofit, public sector and for-profit clients. She is also an award-winning business owner who was recently recognized as a SCORE Client of the Year!
On this episode, Rachel shares:
- Why she transitioned from working at a Big 4 management consulting company after having her first child
- How her experience prepared her to become an entrepreneur, build her client base, and differentiate her business
- What it was like starting her business while pregnant with her second child
- The preconceived notions she had to overcome about having a home-based business
- How she defined her work/life boundaries as an entrepreneur, and found support from other entrepreneurial mothers through an accelerator called Her Corner
- Her experiences pitching and working with her clients
- Her advice for new entrepreneurs
You can find out more about Rachel at her website www.rbwstrategy.com, on LinkedIn or by emailing rachel@rbwstrategy.com .
Rachel’s full bio:
Rachel Werner, Owner and CEO of RBW Strategy, a women-owned consulting firm located in the Washington, DC Metro area. She has over 16 years of experience in the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors. Due to her experience as a project manager, grant seeker and grant manager, she has expertise in the full lifecycle of grants activities, and currently provides fundraising, project management and strategic planning support to nonprofit, public sector and for-profit clients. Since the beginning of her career, she has helped to garner over $32 million in grants and contracts and has managed over $2 billion in grant funding. She graduated from Vassar College with a Bachelor of Arts and received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. She has also obtained a Certificate in Grants Management (2012), is a certified Project Management Professional (since 2014), and is a Certified Grants Professional (since 2010). She is actively involved in the Grant Professionals Association and regularly conducts in-person and online trainings, most notably at the Grant Professionals Association Annual Conference, the National Grants Management Association Annual Conference, CharityHowTo, Candid, Center for Nonprofit Advancement and Catalogue for Philanthropy.
Bryan Wempen is a speaker and an author. His latest book, “Sober Is Better, My Note to Self,” describes Bryan’s journey into daily drinking and finding his way to living a sober lifestyle.
In this episode, Bryan walks us through his story – how early trauma and a feeling of disconnectedness led him to become a high-functioning alcoholic by high school, his experiences with drugs during his college years, what it was like growing his career while struggling with addiction, and what motivated him to go into recovery. He also describes the tremendous support that the recovery community has provided him, as well as the impact his book has had on readers.
You can learn more about Bryan at www.BryanWempen.com and buy his book on Amazon at Sober Is Better: My Note to Self.
Bryan Wempen's full bio:
Bryan Wempen was born in Redwood City California, the future world-famous Silicon Valley. He was adopted at two days old and started a journey across several states with his new parents to live in the mountains of Wyoming. At age four, his family moved to the Midwest and began the farming life in Nebraska. Fourteen years from when his story started, he experienced his first alcohol blackout. By 18-years-old he was in trouble with the law and entirely dependent on alcohol.
Bryan started with drugs his freshman year in college while driving to his national guard duty. He experienced a willingness for recovery from drug use for the first time in 1993 and eventually stopped for good in 1996.
Once the drugs were gone, his dependency on alcohol quickly worsened. At this time Bryan found himself quietly working to avoid legal issues arising from his drinking while working to maintain his roles as successful corporate executive, husband, and stepfather.
More years of blackout drinking, humiliating and demoralizing behavior added to the guilt and shame of addiction. Bryan began questioning if he can stop his drinking. It all changed in May 2010 when he found his answer about quitting. Bryan couldn't hide from himself any longer and asked a longtime sober friend for help. He has been successfully sober since then.
His first book in 2015, "Note to Self: A Collection of 99 Life Lessons," was received well by the recovery, healing, and spiritual communities around the world. In his current book, “Sober Is Better, a Note to Self,” Bryan shares his journey into daily drinking and finding his way to living a sober lifestyle. He highlights how awkward, messy, and beautiful addiction-recovery is for all on this path to sobriety.
Since his last book in 2015, Bryan has remarried and enjoys working with behavioral healthcare technology clients. He currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri.
Jordan Gross is a Northwestern and Kellogg School of Management graduate, a two-time startup founder, a TEDx speaker, and a #1 best-selling author. His upcoming book, “The Journey to Cloud Nine,” provides a new approach to the personal development world by using fictional storytelling to reveal some of life's most meaningful principles.
In this episode, Jordan describes his own journey to Cloud Nine – how he lived life “by the book” and worked at a lucrative but uninspiring job, then quit to focus his energy on content creation, coaching and public speaking. Now he is a certified coach who helps people find direction in their lives and careers through his company Cloud Nine Living.
He also demonstrates some tips on how to overcome fear, based on the 5-step process from his first book, “Getting COMFY” (Calm, Openness, Movement, Funny, You).
Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn and visit his website www.JourneyToCloudNine.com to subscribe to his newsletter.
This week I'm doing a podcast "episode swap" with fellow podcaster Heidi Bennett, the host of the Vibrant Visionaries podcast (and my guest from Episode 68 of Beyond 6 Seconds)! This means that Heidi is publishing my interview episode with her on the Vibrant Visionaries podcast, and I’ve chosen one of her episodes to feature here on Beyond 6 Seconds: her interview with Emily Winston.
While living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Emily missed the authentic NY bagels from her youth so much that she decided to make them herself, and dive head (and heart) first into opening a retail bagel bakery called Boichik Bagels in Berkeley, CA!
If you’ve ever had a craving for an authentic NY bagel, or ever had to figure out how to make your dream (or your business idea) into reality, you’ll really enjoy this episode from Vibrant Visionaries.
This episode was originally featured on Episode 17 of Heidi's podcast, Vibrant Visionaries. You can hear more episodes of her podcast at vibrantvisionaries.com.
After graduating college, Matt LeBris spent three years working with Daymond John of ABC’s Shark Tank. Now Matt is the founder of 1B Branding (a branding agency in NY City), the host of the Decoding Success Podcast, and speaks in front of audiences across the U.S. – all of which propel him closer to his goal of positively impacting the lives of one billion individuals.
On this episode, Matt shares the successes and challenges that he’s faced in his life, including:
- How he turned a 5 minute conversation with Daymond John into a job offer
- His earliest entrepreneurial venture at age 12, when he opened a “restaurant” selling his parents’ groceries on the corner in Queens – until his parents found out about it
- His struggles in school – getting kicked out of two high schools and failing out of college, but eventually graduating college with honors after 7 years
- Losing his athletic dream (and all his college scholarships) during his senior year of high school
- Turning his “18th birthday party” into a revenue-generating opportunity
- How he discovered the concept of legacy over currency, and why it changed the focus of his life
You can find out more about Matt at his website www.MattLeBris.com and connect with him on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also learn about 1B Branding at www.1Bbranding.com and listen to the Decoding Success Podcast at www.MattLeBris.com/podcast.
Scott Miller is the EVP of Thought Leadership at FranklinCovey. He is also the author of the #1 hot new release on Amazon, “Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow.”
A self-described “management mess,” Scott shares what he has learned from his own leadership mistakes, what characteristics are important for successful leadership, and how his book combines his stories with activities to help readers admit their own messes, apply the lessons he learned and move towards leadership success.
Learn about Scott and his work at the links below:
- Buy Scott’s new book, “Management Mess to Leadership Success”at www.ManagementMess.com
- Listen to Scott’s podcasts, Great Life, Great Career and On Leadership
- Connect with Scott on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
- Learn more about FranklinCovey at www.FranklinCovey.com
Maria Pesin is a fashion industry consultant and senior apparel industry executive with more than 25 years of field experience. She is the author of the e-book “14 Essential Truths Everyone in the Fashion Business Should Know” and the CEO of Vibe Consulting, where she helps aspiring fashion entrepreneurs build successful businesses. She has built multi-million-dollar brands, and has constructed and implemented business plans for New York apparel giants like Fleet Street and GIII Apparel Group.
From a very young age, Maria knew that she wanted to be a businesswoman and make money, despite growing up in a blue collar family in the late 1960s/early 1970s that teased her for her feminist ideals and aspirations. She chose to pursue a career in the fashion industry, where she started working “below rock bottom” until she got jobs where she could learn about the business, and earned promotions all the way to the top. Maria shares her career journey -- including the story behind the incident that led her to leave the corporate world to start her own consulting business -- as well as valuable advice for entrepreneurs who are just starting out.
Learn more about Maria at her website www.vibeconsulting.co , where you can also download a free copy of her e-book. You can also get in touch via email at maria@vibeconsulting.co .
How do you build a life and career that fulfills your passion, if you’re passionate about multiple things? This is a question that Heidi Bennett helps people answer. Heidi is a business and wellness coach for multi-creative professionals – i.e., people with a multitude of interests who can’t limit themselves to doing one thing only, day in and day out. She helps her clients design their own careers by bringing all their interests and talents together into different projects. Heidi is also the host of the Vibrant Visionaries podcast, where she has candid conversations with multi-creatives from different fields and industries.
On this episode, Heidi shares how she helps multi-creatives overcome mental barriers like negative self-talk, imposter syndrome and fear, while guiding them to practice their strengths, decide what impact they want to have in the world, and find the life and work that aligns with their values and creative processes. Heidi also describes some of her coaching techniques and strategies that help her clients, and can help you too!
Learn more about Heidi at her website www.HeidiBennett.com and listen to her Vibrant Visionaries podcast at www.VibrantVisionaries.com.
A full episode transcript is available here.
Justin Nguyen is the 22-year-old CEO of GetChoGrindUp and Co-Host of the Young and D.U.M.B. (Dedicated, Up-and-coming, Motivated, Bold) Podcast. Justin’s mission is to uncover the blueprint to career success for college students, and educate them about traditional jobs (through GetChoGrindUp) and non-traditional jobs (via the Young and D.U.M.B. podcast).
On this episode, Justin talks about growing up in the United States as the son of Vietnamese refugees, the pressure he felt from his family to become either a doctor, lawyer or engineer, and how he discovered the worlds of finance, economics and business when he attended college. You’ll find out why he changed his major to Finance, turned down a dream job offer upon graduation, and became an entrepreneur instead – and how he broke the news to his parents!
Justin also shares:
- How he grew his podcast’s reach using social media
- Advice for making contact with influencers
- How he taught himself marketing by researching it on the internet and watching videos of marketing experts
- How he wants to bring change and innovation to the education system
- A preview of the career fair that he’s hosting in 2020, where students can meet and get to know employers through engaging and interactive experiences
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn, follow @GetChoGrindUp on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and listen to the Young and D.U.M.B. podcast on any podcast network – be sure to let him know that you heard his story on Beyond 6 Seconds!
Amir Bormand is the Co-founder of Elevano, a candidate-centric technical recruitment company. On this episode, Amir and I talk about how he quit his job to start Elevano right when he got married, and how his wife’s support and belief in his abilities were critical to the success of his business.
Most of our conversation, however, focuses on the aftermath of a near death experience that Amir had at the age of 17. This experience had a lasting impact on Amir’s life, as he struggled for many years to deal with the trauma and the meaning of being alive against the odds. He explains how both his wife and a therapist helped him let go of the trauma and shift his mindset away from thinking “what if.” Then, through a strange coincidence, he shares how his trauma and recovery prepared him to support his wife through her own crisis.
You can find out more about Amir at www.elevano.com and find him on LinkedIn, Twitter and via email at ABormand@elevano.com.
Georgie-Ann Getton-Mckoy is an execution strategist, serial entrepreneur, community builder, speaker, author and diversity in tech enthusiast. She loves helping businesses and people become more productive, find creative solutions to their problems, and execute on their ideas, and she’s an expert at turning “dreamers” into “doers.” Her new book, “The Art of Getting Sh*t Done” was published in February 2019.
On this episode, Georgie talks about:
- How, as a child, she became the go-to person for solving problems and getting things done within her family – a skill that she uses successfully as a serial entrepreneur
- Why flexibility and choice cause so many businesses to procrastinate and lose productivity
- How she found ways to use technology to become more productive, instead of letting it become a distraction
- How a simple request to her network led her to create the Get Sh*t Done Summit, an annual conference that provides authentic, practical and actionable guidance for executing on your ideas
- Why she wrote her book, "The Art of Getting Sh*t Done," where she shares her personal journey of entrepreneurship, life adventures, overcoming obstacles and figuring out how to make things happen with limited resources
- How she learned the importance of prioritizing her mental health, especially as an entrepreneur
- Her interest in exploring how nutrition can improve our health and productivity
Learn more about Georgie at her website www.Gsdwithgeorgie.com and @gsdwithgeorgie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Nikhil Pampati is a high school senior at the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies in New Jersey. In his free time, he serves as the cofounder and CFO of the national nonprofit Jobscopia, which runs programs that connect students with professionals and provide them with real-life insights into potential careers.
On this episode, Nikhil shares the story of what inspired him to start Jobscopia when he was a high school junior, and how he evolved this idea through customer research (which included interviewing strangers on the streets of San Mateo), cold calling companies to get them to participate, and networking with employees at hackathons and conferences. He also talks about how he balances his startup work with going to high school, and his advice for young and aspiring entrepreneurs.
You can learn more about Jobscopia at www.jobscopia.com or connect with Nikhil on Facebook.
Nikhil's full bio:
Nikhil Pampati is currently a high school senior at the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies. In his free time however, he serves as the cofounder and CFO of the national nonprofit Jobscopia, a US-based program he started as a high school junior in 2017. Jobscopia has assisted in the professional development of hundreds of high school students across the country, mainly in New Jersey and California. They not only work with executives from top companies such as Merck and Verizon, but also with local startups to give students an insight into the specifics of different careers. Nikhil also works with NJ’s Junior Achievement to launch the JA Company Program. Over the course of several months, he was able to secure partnerships with Microsoft in New Jersey as well as the Boys and Girls Club of New Jersey. Currently, he is the lead facilitator and teaches middle-school students the basics of venture development. However, he doesn’t limit his involvement with entrepreneurship to New Jersey, as he has managed events and workshops in New York, California and Chicago. Over the summer, he even had the opportunity to mentor almost 20 ventures in New York. He has a passion for learning, exemplified in his research at The New Jersey Institute of Technology regarding the interactions between startups and the market.
Marc Mawhinney is a lifelong entrepreneur who helps coaches get more clients (without paid advertising)! He achieves this with his coaching programs; his two podcasts (Natural Born Coaches and The Marc Mawhinney Minute); his Facebook group The Coaching Jungle, and his exclusive print newsletter – Secret Coach Club.
In this podcast, Marc tells us about his personal experiences with overcoming two big challenges:
- Bouncing back from adversity: August 11, 2009 was Marc's worst day in business: this was the date that his real estate business collapsed, after 10 years of nonstop success. He talks about how he got through the difficult months and years that followed, the long path that led him to becoming a coach (and why he says coaching “saved his life”), and his advice for struggling entrepreneurs.
- Dealing with haters: Marc talks about why having haters is actually a good sign. He shares how he turns his experiences with trolls and haters into content and new sales!
Learn more about Marc at his website www.NaturalBornCoaches.com and Facebook Group at www.TheCoachingJungle.com. Also, if you’re an entrepreneur who is feeling bleak, struggling to deal with a failure or going through a tough time, and just wants someone to talk to about it, you can send Marc a message at Marc@NaturalBornCoaches.com.
(Note: There are a couple of swear words in this episode; hence the explicit language warning.)
Resources mentioned during the podcast:
- Marc recommends his favorite book, Thick Face, Black Heart by Chin-Ning Chu, as “required reading” for entrepreneurs, especially during hard times, because it paints a realistic picture of life in business.
- Other classic self-help books & authors that helped Marc get through the tough times after his business folded:
-
- The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol
- Napoleon Hill
- Dale Carnegie
At the end of 2018, New York City stand-up comedian Mike Lemme traveled to London, Paris and Rome to perform in some unusual venues – conference rooms that he rented in local office buildings – while documenting his experience on YouTube.
On this podcast, Mike describes his adventures from his European conference room comedy tour (including his encounters with drunk people, newlyweds, protests & riots, and an “overexposed” Couchsurfing host). He also shares how these gigs gave him the confidence and clout to get opportunities to headline comedy shows in larger clubs, grow his fan base, and finally take action to achieve his long-held dream of performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the biggest arts festival in the world.
Learn more about Mike and his comedy shows on his website www.mikelemme.com, via email at mike@mikelemme.com, on Instagram @mikelemme and on his Eventbrite page, and watch his YouTube documentary of his conference room tour called “Something New."
Mike’s full bio:
Mike Lemme is an internationally touring stand-up comedian, writer and producer best known for his work at the UNDER St. Marks Theater in New York’s East Village. Mike wrote and produced 2018’s 50th & 4th, a play loosely inspired by his first roommates in the city, a married couple he found on Craigslist. The play followed Mike’s 2016 15-night-residency at the same theater, which he turned into his first stand-up film called Help Wanted. A former intern for Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, Mike has also warmed-up studio audiences for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and wrote for Second City: This Week.
Late last year, Mike decided to work on new material by traveling to London, Paris and Rome, where he performed in conference rooms that he rented. He’s documented his experience on YouTube.
What happens when you’re a high performer at work, with decades of success and upward progression in your career, and then you get laid off for the first time? That’s what happened to Kevin M. Yates. When his role working in learning & development was eliminated, Kevin found himself in the unfamiliar and frustrating situation of job searching while unemployed. As weeks of job searching turned into months, he experienced sadness, depression, fear, and self-doubt in the face of rejection, silence and ageism.
However, during this difficult time, Kevin began planting the seeds of what would become his amazingly successful personal brand as a “Learning & Development Detective” and measurement expert. His branding not only led him to his next full-time job, but also opened up opportunities beyond his wildest dreams to share his expertise all around the world. Tune into this episode of Beyond 6 Seconds to hear Kevin’s incredible and inspiring story!
Learn more about Kevin’s work at the links below:
Website: kevinmyates.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates
Facebook: facebook.com/kevmyates
Twitter: twitter.com/kevinmyates
Instagram: instagram.com/kevmyates
Full Bio of Kevin M. Yates:
Kevin is a Learning & Development detective and just like Sherlock Holmes, he solves mysteries. The mystery he solves is, “Did training work?”. He uses facts, evidence and data to show training and learning’s impact on behavior, performance and goals.
Kevin measures efficiency, effectiveness and outcomes for training and learning. His work is firmly rooted in his belief that training, learning and talent development has the power to impact behavior, thought and skill. His greatest capability is producing fact-based evidence for the impact of training and learning.
Kevin’s experience is global and multi-industry. He’s served in a variety of roles across training, learning and talent development which guides and informs his perspective and actions. Kevin’s guiding principle is, “Find one thing about a person’s behavior or performance you can attribute to training or learning and let that lead to the facts about impact.”
Charlotte Underwood is a mental health advocate and writer in the UK with a passion for preventing suicide and providing support for those in need.
On this episode, Charlotte shares how her own personal experiences inspired her to write about mental health, the biases and stigma that people with mental illnesses often face in the UK, and how she raises her voice to encourage people to talk about mental health and listen to the experiences of others.
Charlotte also discusses the importance of listening to people with mental illness, and shares advice on how people can help their friends and loved ones who are struggling.
You can read Charlotte's writing at her website, www.charlotteunderwoodauthor.com, and follow her on Twitter @CUnderwoodUK .
Jeff Weisbein is the founder and Editor-in-Chief at BestTechie – a company he started when he was 13 years old and grew it into a digital media company that makes technology easy for everyone to learn about. He also hosts a podcast called TechieBytes, which features insightful and thought-provoking conversations with tech experts and business executives.
On this episode, Jeff shares what inspired him to start BestTechie in the early days of the Internet, how he recognized opportunities to grow his business, refine BestTechie’s content and capitalize on changing technology trends, and how he generated income while maintaining the integrity and identity of the BestTechie brand.
We learn how his experience as a young content creator (in the days before preteen YouTube stars and Instagram influencers) shaped his views on life and entrepreneurship, including:
- Ask for help and don't be afraid of rejection
- Hiring is harder than it looks
- It's important to step away from work sometimes to get a fresh perspective
- Don’t forget to celebrate the small wins
- You are not your business
Jeff also discusses the valuable skills he gained from launching KYA, a data analytics start-up that he had to shut down in 2017.
Check out BestTechie’s website at www.besttechie.com and listen to the TechieBytes podcast at www.besttechie.com/techiebytes . You can also contact Jeff via email at Jeff@BestTechie.com and follow him on Twitter.
Jeff's bio:
Jeff Weisbein is the founder and Editor-in-Chief at BestTechie. His journey into technology, startups, and digital media began at the age of 13, which is when he started BestTechie. While in school, he built BestTechie into a digital media company where he was responsible for leading a team of journalists, editing, planning and creating content, as well as interviewing various executives for stories. In addition to BestTechie, he’s been published on various online publications including Business 2 Community, Media Shift, PerformanceIN, and Creator (by WeWork). He’s also been featured in TechCrunch, The Washington Post, The Next Web, Cheddar, Forbes, Lifehacker, FitSmallBusiness.com, and Product Hunt.
Stacy Sherman is the Director of Customer Experience (CX) at Schindler Elevator Corporation. When she’s not at her day job, Stacy shares her extensive CX expertise on her blog, DoingCXRight, which provides mentorship and knowledge sharing with CX professionals looking to differentiate their companies and personal brand.
On this episode, Stacy shares:
- What inspired her to start DoingCXRight back in 2017, and the type of content she writes for the blog
- How she balances work, family, friends, blogging and all the other parts of her life, by being intentional about how she spends her time
- How writing with authenticity has built her credibility as a blogger and woman in corporate America
- How she has used feedback from her readers to refine the themes she writes about on her blog
- The types of networking, speaking and mentoring opportunities that her blog has opened up for her—and how it has helped her support the careers of other women
Read and subscribe to Stacy’s blog at www.DoingCXRight.com to increase your own CX skills and/or to transform your organization. Her latest blog post is about Women Leadership & Customer Experience.
Follow Stacy on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram where she shares actionable CX tips!
A full episode transcript is available here.
Amanda Watson has 20 years of experience in apparel buying, merchandising, and wholesale in San Francisco. She has worked for major fashion lines throughout her career, including Macy's West, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren.
She was working at IGIGI Dresses when she came up with the idea for StyleForIt -- an online site where plus size women can consign and buy pre-owned current fashion sizes 12–32 -- to provide a resale space for the expanding category of Plus Fashion.
On this episode, Amanda shares why she decided to open up her own fashion business, some of the business successes and challenges she’s faced since then, and how her business continues to evolve and grow. Learn more about www.styleforit.com or via email at hello@styleforit.com.
Daniel Gefen is the CEO of the Gefen Media Group, a podcast production and booking company. He hosts a podcast called “Can I Pick Your Brain?” and is the author of the bestselling book, “The Self Help Addict.”
On this episode, Daniel describes himself as a former Self Help Addict, where he was trapped in a vicious cycle of consuming life-changing knowledge without taking any life-changing action. After 10 years of procrastination, he shares how he finally broke this cycle and motivated himself to write his book, “The Self Help Addict.”
Daniel also talks about the growing power of podcasting, including:
- His first experience as a podcast guest 4 years ago, which made him realize the amazing value and impact of podcasts
- How being a guest on the right podcasts can help establish you as an expert in your field
- How he made his own podcast stand out from other interview-based podcasts
- How he built a thriving podcast booking agency
Special offer for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners: Visit www.Podcastguestsuccess.com to download a free guide to getting booked as a guest on podcasts!
For more information about Daniel, check out these links:
Daniel’s business, the Gefen Media Group:
www.gefenmediagroup.com
Daniel’s podcast: Can I Pick Your Brain?
Daniel’s book, The Self Help Addict
Jacqueline Jasionowski left her 18+ year career in the corporate automotive world to start her own business, Shift Awake, which is dedicated to working with leaders to create purpose-driven environments and game-changing results. Jacqueline believes consciousness is innovation. Leveraging her expertise in leadership coaching, customer experience and human resources, she intends to flip the way most organizations view the human experience and challenges leaders to focus on purpose, while using conscious building tools to improve employee wellbeing first.
On this episode, Jacqueline discusses what led her to make the leap from corporate to entrepreneurship, what it means to be a conscious-based leader, and how purpose-driven employees and corporate cultures impact customer experience and the bottom line. She also shares how she faces her biggest challenge as a new entrepreneur – managing and prioritizing her days – through her morning routine and the “Top 5” tool that she learned from her coach.
Special offer for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners: If you are facing a challenge in your business and you just need someone to talk through it with, Jacqueline invites you to contact her at jacqueline@shiftawake.com to set up a time to talk. We all need a helping hand or someone to listen, and she would be honored to be that person to support you through a call.
For more information about Jacqueline and her work at Shift Awake, please visit:
Website: www.shiftawake.com
Facebook: Shift Awake Group
Instagram: @shiftawake
Connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn
Listen to Shift Awake: The Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, or iTunes
Kevin Patrick Allen has been a reporter from sea to shining sea, telling stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges. Now, he’s produced a documentary called “What Comes Next” that examines what happens when you lose a dream, lose a loved one, or even lose your freedom. The project was an opportunity to go beyond the skipping-stone nature of today’s journalism into a deeper exploration of the human condition.
In this podcast, Kevin takes us behind-the-scenes into the stories he featured in his documentary:
- Chad, an X-Games champion, who suffered a terrible crash.
- Beverly and Linda, whose triumph and tragedy intersected after the suicide of a teenager.
- Joe and Reggie, who languished on death row.
We discuss how these stories share a common struggle, how different people find a meaningful future after experiencing tremendous loss, and what we can learn from their journeys.
Watch “What Comes Next” on Amazon Prime and follow Kevin on Twitter @kpatrickallen.
Lisa DeLay has always been interested in the spiritual, and how humans can connect with the divine and each other in healthy and healing ways.
In this episode, Lisa talks about the spiritual and family crisis she faced in her childhood and young adulthood, her studies of religion and spiritual formation, and her work as a part-time professor at Gratz College, where she helps new K-12 special education teachers learn mindfulness techniques they can use to benefit their students.
Lisa also hosts the Spark My Muse podcast, where she has interviewed Seth Godin, Parker Palmer, Krista Tippett and many other people who inspire her.
You can find Lisa on Twitter @sparkmymuse and @lisadelay and on the Facebook page for Spark My Muse. Visit www.SparkMyMuse.com to listen to her podcast and sign up for her newsletter.
In this bonus episode, organizational change and culture expert Karen Jaw-Madson (my guest from Episode 52) talks about finding and working with a publisher for her book “Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work” – and why she describes her experience as a “soap opera!”
She shares what she learned, the advice that helped encourage her through all the rejections, and her own advice for authors who are trying to get their books published.
Find out more about Karen at www.designofworkexperience.com and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also purchase Karen’s book on Amazon: Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work.
We've also got a full episode with Karen Jaw-Madson, where she talks about Design of Work Experience (DOWE), which is the methodology she created and described in her book. DOWE combines organizational culture with design thinking to help people innovate and solve challenging problems at work. Listen to Karen's full episode here.
Karen’s full bio:
Organizational expert Karen Jaw-Madson enjoyed success as a corporate executive before pursuing a "portfolio career" comprised of research, writing, consulting, teaching/speaking, and creative pursuits. As a versatile leader across multiple industries, Karen developed, led, and implemented numerous organizational initiatives around the globe. Today, this East Coast transplant to Silicon Valley (via Ireland and the Midwest) is principal of Co.-Design of Work Experience, where she enables organizations with innovative approaches and customized solutions for intimidating challenges. Focus areas include culture, organizational change, and people strategies. Her book, Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work (Emerald Group Publishing) was released in June, 2018. She has a BA in Ethnic and Cultural Studies from Bryn Mawr College and a MA in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. Visit her website at www.designofworkexperience.com.
Karen Jaw-Madson is an organizational change and culture expert who enjoyed success as a corporate executive before pursuing a “portfolio career” comprised of research, writing, consulting, teaching/speaking, and creative pursuits. Her book "Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work" was released in June 2018. This book is a guide for implementing the methodology she created -- Design of Work Experience (DOWE) – which combines organizational culture with design thinking, learning, appreciative inquiry and values-based leadership to help people innovate and solve challenging problems at work.
Find out more about Karen and the DOWE methodology at www.designofworkexperience.com and connect with Karen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also purchase Karen’s book on Amazon: Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work.
We've also got a bonus episode with Karen Jaw-Madson, where she talks about finding and working with a publisher for her book “Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work” – and why she describes her experience as a “soap opera!” Listen to the bonus episode here.
Karen’s full bio:
Organizational expert Karen Jaw-Madson enjoyed success as a corporate executive before pursuing a "portfolio career" comprised of research, writing, consulting, teaching/speaking, and creative pursuits. As a versatile leader across multiple industries, Karen developed, led, and implemented numerous organizational initiatives around the globe. Today, this East Coast transplant to Silicon Valley (via Ireland and the Midwest) is principal of Co.-Design of Work Experience, where she enables organizations with innovative approaches and customized solutions for intimidating challenges. Focus areas include culture, organizational change, and people strategies. Her book, Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work (Emerald Group Publishing) was released in June, 2018. She has a BA in Ethnic and Cultural Studies from Bryn Mawr College and a MA in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. Visit her website at www.designofworkexperience.com.
Links to other organizational change influencers that Karen mentions during the podcast:
Free Agent Nation by Daniel Pink (the book that inspired Karen to create her portfolio career)
Prof. Jeanne M. Liedka, Darden School of Business
Total Quality Management by W. Edwards Deming
Appreciative Inquiry by David Cooperrider (Karen’s intellectual hero)
Natasha Nurse is a licensed attorney by trade who held various stints in the corporate world prior to making a foray into fashion, writing, media and entrepreneurship. Natasha started Dressing Room 8 to provide a web-based resource where women can gain personal and professional empowerment through her fashion and lifestyle focused blog, consultation and coaching services. She is also the Program Coordinator for Long Island Girl Talk, a Long Island community-based start-up program that teaches teenage girls of color how to produce, direct and star in their own television show about women’s issues in their communities. Recently, she partnered with her husband to create the podcast WokeNFree, where they have fun, informed and thought-provoking conversations on different topic each week.
Natasha discusses the winding path of her career, starting with her interest in veterinary science, followed by graduating law school and working in document review, legal recruiting, legal education & sales -- and how realizing her true desire to be creative, innovative, and empowered in her career (and to empower other women as well) led her to a new path of entrepreneurship.
She also shares valuable advice about:
- How our self-limiting beliefs stop us from taking action – and how she helps people overcome these beliefs
- How fashion can help you be confident and powerful – and how she helps women feel happier when they see themselves in the dressing room mirror
- The constant battle that every entrepreneur has: being in their business vs working on their business -- and the key questions that every entrepreneur should be asking themselves to ensure their businesses continue to grow
- How being a strong communicator as a business owner can make you more money
Natasha also shares how Long Island Girl Talk, where young women collaborate to create all aspects of their own television shows, is a huge boost to their levels of confidence and self-worth.
We also talk about how the WokeNFree podcast invites listeners to think about issues from different viewpoints and engages them in interesting conversations.
Connect with Natasha via email, her website www.dressingroom8.com, or on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also listen to the WokeNFree podcast at www.wokenfree.com.
Natasha’s full bio:
As a New Yorker, born and raised, Natasha is used to bumping into people from all walks of life daily, which makes it easy for her to accomplish her goal of meeting someone new and learning something new each and every day. A licensed attorney by trade, Natasha held various stints in the corporate world prior to making a foray into fashion and writing. Having been a victim of bullying as a child growing up, Natasha learned to seek out fashion as a source of strength early on and actively uses it as a personal means of empowerment; because of her own experiences with bullying and her strong desire to help others within the plus size community, Natasha started Dressing Room 8 to provide a web-based resource where women can gain personal and professional empowerment through her fashion and lifestyle focused blog, consultation and coaching services. Dressing Room 8 helps women learn how to think with clarity, dress with confidence, and live with purpose.
Not one to stay idle, Natasha loves to keep a full calendar. Aside from running Dressing Room 8, Natasha is an Adjunct Professor at Nassau Community College where she teaches Introduction to Women’s Studies. She is the Lifestyle Editor for Plus Model Magazine. She is also the Program Coordinator for Long Island Girl Talk, a Long Island community-based start-up program that teaches teenage girls of color how to produce, direct and star in their own television show about women’s issues in their communities. Recently, she partnered with her husband to create the new podcast WokeNFree and she is the host of Our Voices on 90.3 WHPC.
Prior to starting Dressing Room 8, Natasha created the WST Feminist Blog, an open forum for sharing original content, links and creative work addressing cutting-edge women’s issues. She is also an animal lover and a big film buff. When she’s not traveling or juggling multiple projects, she likes to spend time with her husband Kahlil, cat Toby and dog, J.J. And, she always finds time to indulge in her obsession with elephants.
Gina Marie Agderian is a New Jersey-based, independent author who self-published her first novel in April 2018 titled “The Letters in the Old House.” In her novel, a woman at a crossroads in her life discovers mysterious letters in her aunt & uncle’s Jersey Shore beach house, then goes on a mission to figure out the story behind the letters while learning about herself in the process.
In this episode, Gina talks about how she finally stopped putting off her childhood dream of writing a novel, and shares her tips for getting started and staying focused on your own writing and other creative passions. She also describes what it’s like to self-publish a book, and how self-publishing through Amazon allowed her to write her first novel according to her creative vision.
You can connect with Gina on her website www.gsellsseashells.com and on Instagram @gsellsseashells, and purchase “The Letters in the Old House” on Amazon.
Esther Hofknecht Curtis is a blogger, writer, and content creator who established Parrot Content + Copy to develop her freelance business. She is also the creator of the #GuestBloggerProject, which she hosted in May and October 2018 to provide a platform for writers to share their stories and understand how the project impacts organic social media reach and SEO for the project's host. Based on her experience, she has written a short e-book called “Boost Your Blog with the #GuestBloggerProject: A proven plan to improve your blog's visibility, SEO, and following” to give people the tools they need to host their own #GuestBloggerProject.
On this episode, Esther talks about what she learned from the #GuestBloggerProject, some of the inspirational and surprising stories that people have shared, and how blogging is a unique opportunity to learn more about the people around us. She also shares how this project can help both the host and the guest bloggers increase their online reach and amplify their voices.
Connect with Esther on LinkedIn, learn more about the #GuestBloggerProject, and pick up a copy of Esther’s e-book on Amazon!
When you don’t have the words, let your gloves say it for you!
Flip ‘em the Bird, Inc. is a women-owned, Minnesota based start-up founded by Susie Moschkau and Natalie Buckman. While freezing at their office jobs and looking for some comic relief to combat the day to day challenges of corporate life, Susie and Natalie hatched their idea for Flip ‘em the Bird fingerless gloves! After 2 decades of friendship and the dread of turning the big 4-0, they decided it was time to take their hilariousness and sassitude to the masses and launched a brand that is uniquely funny and fashionable.
On this episode, Susie and Natalie share how they got their idea off the ground, what they’ve learned about business, manufacturing, and social media marketing along the way, and how they give back to the social causes they care about through their “Swearing is Caring” campaign.
Check out the Flip ‘em the Bird fingerless gloves at www.flipemthebird.com, connect on Facebook, Twitter @flipem_thebird and Instagram @flipem_thebird, and follow their hashtag #FlipThemBirdsUp !
Professor Marcia McNair is the co-author of Sistas on Fire, an award-winning theatrical performance that addresses pressing social issues from an African-American female perspective.
On this episode, Marcia shares what inspired her to create Sistas on Fire about 10 years ago, and how it evolved from a collection of writings into a theatrical experience that incorporates the spoken word, music and dance. She also shares how Sistas on Fire has connected with people across race, class, gender, religion and cultures, and how it empowers the audience to think and take action about the social issues they care about.
Sistas on Fire will be playing at the East Village Playhouse in New York City from February 22 – March 17, 2019. Buy your tickets at www.sistasonfire.com and visit the website or Facebook page to learn more about the show!
Marcia’s full bio:
Marcia McNair, the mother of two sons, grew up in New Jersey and moved to New York shortly after her college graduation. She has lived in both Harlem and Queens, but has resided on Long Island for over twenty years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Dartmouth College and her master’s degree in Writing from New York University. McNair was an assistant editor at Essence Magazine and is currently an Associate Professor of English, Journalism, and Women’s Studies at Nassau Community College. She is the former coordinator of the NCC African American Read-In and a current member of the Black History Month Committee and the Secretary for the Black Women’s Initiative (a student retention program).
In addition, she was an adjunct professor of English at Molloy College, where she taught African American Literature, for over five years. She served on the Uniondale Community Council Executive Board for two years. She is the Executive Director and Founder of Long Island Girl Talk, a program for teen girls interested in media, and a co-host on Café Long Island, a public access television series. McNair’s essay, It Takes a Lioness to Raise Young Lions, appears in Issues in Feminism/ An Introduction to Women’s Studies/Fifth Edition (Mayfield, 2001). Her creative nonfiction story, Before We Were Gangstas, won honorable mention in the National New Millennium Writers Creative Nonfiction contest in 2003 and appears in the anthology, Memoirs in the Light of Day (Lamberson Corona Press, 2008).
In 2006 and 2007, she received a grant from the Long Island Council for the Arts for her collaborative performance, Diary of a Mad Black Feminist, now known as the award-winning Sistas on Fire! Her poem Long Island Just Isn’t Long Enough is featured in Seasoned Women (QuadraSoul, 2008), an anthology of women’s poetry and performed by Composer Leonard Lehrman at the opening of Hofstra University’s Suburban Conference on Diversity in 2009. An excerpt from her first novel, E-Males (Aya Press, 2007), was performed at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in 2009 . Her professional memberships include Sigma Delta Chi (the Society of Professional Journalists) and the American Association of University Women.
Samantha Harris is an Emmy-winning entertainment journalist and TV host. Most of you may know Samantha from her eight seasons as the co-host of the hit show, Dancing with the Stars, or her many years as one of the hosts of Entertainment Tonight.
In this podcast, Samantha shares her breast cancer story, which began when she trusted her instinct about a lump that she was told was “nothing.” Out of the emotional turmoil of her diagnosis, Samantha and her husband founded the online community Gotta Make Lemonade to help inspire positivity in the face of adversity. She continued to turn her cancer “lemon” into “lemonade” by writing her new book, “Your Healthiest Healthy: 8 Easy Ways to Take Control, Help Prevent & Fight Cancer, and Live a Longer, Cleaner, Happier Life,” which debuted as an Amazon bestseller. With research-backed advice, “Your Healthiest Healthy” is a guidebook to identifying and removing toxins from all parts of your life, as well as boosting positivity to support your well-being.
Learn about Samantha’s book, “Your Healthiest Healthy” at www.samantha-harris.com/yhh
Book Samantha as a speaker at www.samantha-harris.com
Read the stories on Gotta Make Lemonade at www.gottamakelemonade.com (You can also submit your own story here!)
Follow Samantha on Instagram @SamanthaHarrisTV for a daily dose of positivity.
Rhodes Perry helps business leaders, change agents, and visionaries at all levels cultivate workplace cultures of belonging through his leadership & management consulting firm. He is an award-winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. He is also a nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader with two decades of government and nonprofit experience, having worked at the White House, PFLAG National, and the City of New York.
In this episode, Rhodes shares what inspired him to pursue a career in diversity, equity and inclusion, his own personal diversity story, and how his book “Belonging At Work” empowers people to take action that will help them create inclusive cultures at their workplaces.
For more information on Rhodes Perry Consulting, LLC, please visit www.rhodesperry.com
Connect with Rhodes on social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Google+
Buy Rhodes' book “Belonging At Work” on Amazon
February 2019: Join Rhodes’ 30 Day Belonging Challenge
Listen to Rhodes’ podcast, The Out Entrepreneur
Rhodes’ full bio:
Rhodes Perry, MPA, believes in the power of authenticity at work. He puts this belief into practice by helping business leaders, change agents, and visionaries at all levels cultivate workplace cultures of belonging through his leadership & management consulting firm. He is an award winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. He is a nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader with two decades of government and nonprofit experience having worked at the White House, PFLAG National, and the City of New York. Media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and The Huffington Post have featured his powerful work as a diversity, equity, and inclusion subject matter expert.
Rhodes also hosts a weekly podcast, The Out Entrepreneur, which has empowered over 35,000 LGBTQ and ally entrepreneurs to pursue their professional passions and build the businesses of their dreams. Rhodes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Gender Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Public Administration from New York University. He spends his free time bicycling world-wide, hanging out with his family in Portland, Oregon, and serves on the Portland Human Rights Commission, the Portland Area Business Association’s Board, and the National Diversity Board for Studies Weekly.
This episode features Larry Sprung, the President and Founder of Mitlin Financial, Inc. He also serves on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
On this episode, Larry discusses the critical events in his life that shaped his career and advocacy:
- How his mother’s long battle with breast cancer led him to a career helping people plan for critical financial events in their lives, and
- How the loss of his brother-in-law to suicide led Larry to become involved with AFSP and, along with his wife Denise, raise more than $1,000,000 for the organization through the Keith Milano Memorial Fund. The fund was created at AFSP in memory of Larry and Denise’s brother-in-law and brother, respectively.
Larry also talks about some of the important work that AFSP is doing to help people “Seize the Awkward” by having potentially life-saving conversations with the people in their lives who may be suicidal, and AFSP’s Project 2025, which aims to lower the suicide rate by 20% by the year 2025.
You can get in touch with Larry through the Mitlin Financial website at www.mitlinfinancial.com and learn more about the Keith Milano Memorial Fund at www.keithmilano.org .
You can also find more information about AFSP’s work at www.afsp.org and the Seize the Awkward campaign at www.seizetheawkward.org .
Larry’s full bio:
Lawrence Sprung CFP® is the President and Founder of Mitlin Financial, Inc. He entered the financial industry in 1996 and continues to be inspired and energized by the challenge of helping his clients achieve and even surpass their financial goals.
Mitlin Financial, Inc. is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that prides itself on facilitating their client's financial future. Being a fiduciary is a perfect fit for Larry’s personality and business perspective as he puts clients first and consistently helps them make decisions that are right for them.
Larry is known as a devoted educator. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and regularly films the firm’s “Mitlin Minute,” which is designed to provided information regarding relevant financial topics.
Today, Larry is proud to be serving the second and third generations of his clients. He has seen first-hand how strong financial habits instilled in parents, children and grandchildren, can impact a family’s wealth and wealth stewardship for generations.
As an active volunteer, Larry serves on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). With his wife, Denise, he has raised more than $1,000,000 for the organization through the Keith Milano Memorial Fund. The fund was created at AFSP in memory of Larry and Denise’s brother-in-law and brother, respectively.
Larry has been recognized as one of Long Island Business News' "40 Under 40," and his commentary is regularly featured in publications such as Long Island Business News, U.S. News & World Reports, Newsday, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance, and Nasdaq’s website.
If you have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sprung, you will find that he is more often found conversing about AFSP, his sons’ or a hockey game. Doing business and creating relationships is at the heart of who Larry is and it is all done with style and grace.
Becky Curran is the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Director at Disability:IN, where she is responsible for managing the overall DEI program. Born with achondroplastic dwarfism, Becky talks about her life & career as an advocate for increasing disability inclusion, including:
- Her childhood health challenges and experiences with social exclusion
- The importance of her support system of family, friends and doctor
- How she navigated through multiple challenges to forge her own career path in the media and entertainment industry, to improve the representation of disability in the media and advocate for actors with disabilities
- Why she started sharing her own story publicly, and the impact that her public speaking is having on individuals and corporations
- Why she’s comfortable with people coming up and asking questions about her appearance and about her life as a little person
You can contact Becky on her website www.BeckyMotivates.com and learn more about her motivational public speaking and her story.
Becky’s full bio:
Becky Curran serves as the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Director at Disability:IN. In her current role, she’s responsible for managing the overall DEI program.
Becky received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Providence College, where she gained a passion for influencing change behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. Upon graduation and after 100 job interviews, Becky started working in the Entertainment Marketing department, followed by the Comedy Touring department, at Creative Artists Agency, the world’s leading entertainment and sports agency. Five years later, she worked at CBS Television Studios, where she assisted with the casting of pilots and television series. During this transition, she also served as the Marketing Director and Co-Founding Board Member of the Catalina Film Festival. She also founded DisABILITY In Media, which focuses on positive disability inclusion storytelling through social media.
After her six and a half years of working in the entertainment industry, Becky launched a public speaking business. A prolific public speaker and advocate for disability inclusion on a global scale, she has spoken at over 100 venues, including schools, corporations, nonprofit organizations and government agencies, throughout the United States and Kenya. She’s really passionate about disability inclusion in schools, the workplace, and everywhere else.
More recently, she spent three and a half years working in the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) & Diversity department at Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the world’s largest entertainment union. At SAG-AFTRA, she supported the implementation of a national diversity plan of action to achieve accurate representation of those groups historically excluded from the entertainment and news media.
Becky serves on the Board of Advisors for the National Center For Disability Journalism (NCDJ) at Arizona State University.
Mark Metry is the Host of Humans 2.0, a Top 100 podcast where he interviews billionaires, New York Times bestselling authors, and other legendary world-class human beings. He’s also the founder of VU Dream, a virtual and augmented reality marketing & advertising agency based in Boston.
In this episode, Mark talks about his childhood as the son of immigrant parents, and how one of his entrepreneurial ventures as a teenager lifted his family out of poverty. Despite this financial success, he battled severe social anxiety and feelings of hopelessness – then one day, he decided to take responsibility for his life and health. By studying and adopting nutrition, meditation, and other life-changing practices, he started on his path to reaching his full potential, and created his current business and podcast. He shares how he makes initial contact with his high-profile podcast guests, how his interaction with Seth Godin was a breakthrough moment, and how podcasting has changed his life.
Listen and subscribe to the Humans 2.0 podcast at https://www.markmetry.com/humans-2-0-podcast or on your favorite podcast player. You can also connect with Mark on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter or by email at mark@vudream.com .
In this episode, Beyond 6 Seconds host Carolyn Kiel is interviewed by her guest, Valerie Gordon, a 10-time Emmy award-winning television producer and owner of the career and communication strategy firm, Commander-in-She.
Carolyn talks about a time in her career when she felt stuck and what she did to get unstuck, then Valerie & Carolyn share practical tips and advice for getting unstuck, including how to:
- Take the time to identify what it is you like to do
- Use conflict and dissatisfaction to your advantage
- Expand your network
- Establish a cast of supporting characters
- Try new things
- Make space for creativity
If you’re feeling stuck in your career, then you definitely want to listen to this entire episode!
Valerie offers workshops and webinars that teach the storytelling skills necessary to help high-achieving women ascend the leadership ladder. You can learn more about her work at www.Commander-in-She.com , connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CommanderInShe.
About Valerie Gordon:
Valerie Gordon is a 10-time Emmy award-winning television producer with more than two decades of experience creating and overseeing feature stories for ESPN, HBO Sports and CBS News, among other networks. Now the founder and president of Commander-in-She, LLC, a communications and career strategy firm, Valerie combines her background in storytelling with her passion for the important conversations and skills women need to harness the power of their stories.
Valerie offers keynote presentations, group workshops, team building and individual strategizing to demonstrate the role storytelling plays in our daily lives and subsequent success. She has worked with corporations and professional organizations such as Aetna, Mass Mutual, the YES Network, Untapped Potential, Women in Cable Telecommunications, Women in Sports and Events and American Women in Sports Media.
Valerie’s introspective introductory workshop, “What’s Your Story? Storytelling Secrets for Success” allows participants to consider the components of their personal stories – character, plot and narrative point of view – and emerge with greater authorship of their current and future chapters. Story techniques are the thread for specific presentation topics including personal branding, negotiation and conflict resolution, goal-setting, communication skills and work-life balance.
Valerie’s feature work has been seen on CBS News “The Early Show” (2004-2008), NBC’s “Weekend Today” (2002-2003), and HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” (1998-2002), among other assignments. She was a member of the Olympic profiles unit for both the Centennial Olympics in Atlanta (NBC, 1996) and the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan (CBS, 1998). From 2008 to 2016, Valerie was a Coordinating Producer of ESPN’s acclaimed Feature Unit, supervising hundreds of features for studio shows, live events and special projects including SC Featured for SportsCenter and My Wish, ESPN’s collaboration with Make-a-Wish to grant sports-themed wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. From 2016-2017, Valerie helmed Mike & Mike, ESPN’s long-running multi-platform morning show on ESPN Radio and ESPN2.
From 2014-2016, Valerie served as co-leader of ESPN Women, ESPN’s largest employee resource group, creating and overseeing professional development conferences serving hundreds of employees including “Leading at all Levels” (2014) and “Aspire/Inspire” (2015). For her efforts as a catalyst for other women in the industry, she was honored at the 2015 WICT New England’s Evening of Excellence with the Touchstone award (2015).
In addition to her 10 Sports Emmy awards, Valerie is a 3-time Edward R. Murrow award recipient and 5-time NY Festival award-winner for both TV and radio and has been recognized with an NABJ Salute to Excellence and a Telly award.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Valerie uses her life outside of work as a wife, mother, novice weightlifter and an occasional adventure race runner as inspiration for other relatable speaking and writing topics. She blogs at www.Commander-in-She.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CommanderInShe.
Andy Storch is a consultant, coach and facilitator who helps his clients turn strategy into action. Andy works with companies to accelerate leadership development, strategy alignment, business acumen and sales training. He also coaches individuals to help them improve their performance and achieve their goals, so they can do the best work of their lives. Additionally, Andy hosts two podcasts: The Entrepreneur Hot Seat (now called The Andy Storch Show), where he has interviewed over 100 CEOs and entrepreneurs, and the Talent Development Hot Seat, where he interviews interesting talent development leaders about their experience.
In this episode, Andy shares how the book “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod inspired him to transform his life and career by building six habits for success: meditation, exercise, writing, reading, affirmations and visualizations. He also talks about the impact that hosting podcasts and attending conferences have had on growing his career and developing new business relationships.
Connect with Andy on LinkedIn and visit www.andystorch.com to learn more about his work and podcasts.
Additional information from Andy Storch's bio:
Andy has taught strategy, sales, leadership, finance, and business acumen to business leaders all over the world and has started or worked for multiple start-up companies. Some of Andy’s past clients have included Salesforce.com, NOV, Oracle, Google, Box, Toyota, Genentech, State Farm, Red Bull, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, HP, Sony, Bechtel, Cisco as well as small business and startup CEOs looking to grow their businesses.
Andy has worked with leaders across almost every industry—from software to insurance—and has seen the difference that experiential learning, practice, coaching, and accountability can make in improving overall performance.
Andy holds an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business where he served as President of the MBA program in 2008 and a BS in Information Sciences from the University of Florida.
Erica Stanford got into the field of cryptocurrency as an investor in early 2017. She is now the co-founder of cryptocurrencysimplified.com - a project aiming to make crypto and blockchain be better understood and adopted by the mainstream public.
On this episode, Erica discusses how she educated herself about blockchain technology and became fascinated by its current impact and potential to transform society and empower individuals in almost every industry worldwide. Inspired by the trial and error of her own learning experiences, she built an unbiased, reliable web resource to help people learn about blockchain and cryptocurrency that will include how-to guides and translate the technology into simple English. Erica also shares advice on how crypto investors can protect themselves against scams, hackers and fraud.
Learn more about Erica’s work at www.cryptocurrencysimplified.com or via email at erica@cryptocurrencysimplified.com .
Cyd Alper-Sedgwick is a Feng Shui Master based in Cincinnati Ohio, with clients throughout the US and Europe. She has a passion for healing buildings, and consequently, the people in the buildings. A second generation Feng Shui Practitioner, she also brings her expertise as an Interior Designer into her consultations.
On this episode, Cyd shares how she learned to practice Feng Shui from her mother at an early age, why she transitioned her practice from a hobby to a career, and how she makes people’s homes flow with positive energy and clears out negative energy. She also shares how Feng Shui can guide people in purchasing their homes, furnishing their houses, cultivating positive energy in their businesses, and clearing blockages within their hearts and minds.
Learn more about Cyd’s work at www.harmonicprosperity.com or by leaving her a voicemail message with your name and phone number at (513) 315-6193.
Malavika Vivek is the cofounder of Girls Make Apps, a U.S. nonprofit she began as a high school junior in 2016. To date, Girls Make Apps has inspired hundreds of girls and women from middle school through college to enter the world of tech through free workshops, programs and hackathons across the country from New York to California, and has worked with educators to improve computer science education in public schools. Some of Girls Make Apps’ partners have included Spotify, Google and Microsoft.
In this episode, Malavika talks about how Girls Make Apps grew from an 8-week Android workshop camp for girls into a national program that gives girls a positive first experience with technology, how her program breaks down stereotypes to show the diversity that’s possible in tech, and helps girls build the confidence to work in STEM through hands-on activities, creative work and collaboration.
Learn more about Girls Make Apps at www.girlsmakeapps.org and @girlsmakeapps on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Full bio:
Malavika Vivek is the cofounder of national nonprofit Girls Make Apps, a US-based initiative she began as a high school junior in 2016. Girls Make Apps has inspired hundreds of girls and women from middle school through college to enter the world of tech through free workshops, programs and hackathons across the country from New York to California and has worked with educators to improve computer science education in public schools. Malavika has been honored as a Stanford University #include fellow for her efforts to bridge the diversity gap in tech and has also been featured for her work in Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls and Huffington Post. She has an extensive speaking background and has given talks to numerous students, guidance counselors, and educators at conferences across the US, as well as given a TED talk at TEDxPaloAltoCollege and spoken internationally at Digital4Her, a conference organized by the European Commission. She has a passion for technology as well as computational biology and has worked as a research intern at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is currently working at Avasoft, a software solutions company.
In this mini-episode of Beyond 6 Seconds, our host Carolyn Kiel shares her blog post about why she started podcasting and what she’s learned since publishing the first episodes at the beginning of this year. Check out her written post on the Parrot Content + Copy blog at https://www.parrotcontent.com/single-post/2018/10/30/Beyond-6-Seconds .
Deborah Tan-Pink is the Head of Content at SmartUp, an edtech startup focused on microlearning for corporate employees. She spent a decade in publishing before deciding to venture into entrepreneurship and technology.
On this episode, we talk about how Deborah built her resilience and grit during her school years, when she was bullied by both students and teachers – and how she used that resilience and grit to rise quickly from intern to Editor-in-Chief at Cosmopolitan Singapore, with skills and a mindset that helped her grow and pivot her career. She also shares her thoughts on how parents can support their children when they are dealing with bullies.
Connect with Deborah on LinkedIn!
Jake Melton is a keynote speaker, author and change expert who focuses on minimalism and simplicity. As the Founder of the J.B. Melton Group, LLC., he helps organizations streamline, improve people processes, find peace, reduce stress, increase organizational effectiveness, and embrace change in a demanding workforce. He also helps people minimalize their lives and find greater purpose and fulfillment in their businesses, families, teams, etc. by simplifying and "cutting the crap."
In this episode, Jake shares how several difficult experiences at work started him on a mission to build healthy effective workplaces, what inspired him to write his book called “Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness: Cut the Crap“ and about his experience as a public speaker with Tourette syndrome.
Connect with Jake on LinkedIn and let him know that you heard him on the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast! You can also contact Jake at his website www.jakebmelton.com, on Instagram @jakemeltonb and on Facebook.
Dave Sanderson was traveling on a business trip on January 15th, 2009. The trip would change his life forever – because Dave was a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549, also known as “The Miracle on the Hudson” piloted by Captain Sullenberger (“Sully”). On this episode, Dave talks about what it was like to survive the crash itself and how he was able to grow from this traumatic experience. He also shares several practical strategies that anyone can use to grow and thrive after their own “personal plane crash” moments.
Visit www.davesandersonspeaks.com to learn more about Dave’s motivational speaking practice, buy his book “Moments Matter” or apply for IMPACT, his mastermind group. Special offer for Beyond 6 Seconds listeners -- text BRACE4IMPACT to 797979 to receive the first video from Dave’s new course about overcoming adversity in challenging times!
Tiffany Pham is the Founder & CEO of Mogul, an award-winning worldwide online platform that enables women to connect, share information, and access knowledge from each other. She is also the author of You Are a Mogul, the top 10 best-selling business book that describes her experience with forging her own path in an age of disruption – and advice for how you can do it too!
In this episode, Tiffany shares her incredible journey: her childhood move from Paris, France to Plano, Texas (before she could speak a word of English), her studies at Yale University and Harvard Business School, her day jobs and side-hustles across multiple industries, and how being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list showed her the impact she could have on other women’s lives around the world, and inspired her to build Mogul -- which now reaches 18 million women per week from over 196 countries. She also shares what influenced her strong ambition, resilience and motivation, and what it truly means to be a Mogul.
You can purchase You Are a Mogul on Amazon, visit Mogul at www.onmogul.com and learn more about Tiffany on Mogul, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Have you ever wished you could be more creative and come up with the next “big idea” for your business (or your life in general)? My guest on today’s episode, Bob Sager, helps people discover and unlock this ability within themselves. As the founder of SpearPoint Solutions LLC, Bob is a consultant and trainer on how to use innovative thinking to create practical solutions for business and life.
Bob describes how the lessons he learned early in his career fueled his success as an entrepreneur: the importance of hard work, treating people well, learning from failure, and always asking himself how he can create more value for his customers.
He shares what inspired him to invent a game called What's the BIG Idea?™ which helps people come up with innovative, creative ideas while having fun at the same time. He also gives practical advice to entrepreneurs who are struggling to find the right idea that will grow their business. You can learn more about Bob on his LinkedIn profile.
SPECIAL OFFER (as of September 2018): Bob is offering his services for FREE to help 101 businesses and non-profits design their sales/fundraising strategies! At the end of this episode, you’ll hear how you can nominate a business or non-profit to take advantage of this limited time offer.
Carin Rockind is a leading happiness expert, motivational speaker, and the creator of PurposeGirl, a movement to empower purpose-driven living. She has taught thousands of people real-life strategies to reclaim their happiness and live to their fullest potential of success and well-being. On October 18th, she is launching the first annual Women's Global Happiness Day (www.womenshappy.com) in over 50 cities worldwide, which will raise awareness of the women’s depression epidemic and bring women together to learn empowering tools for finding joy and happiness.
In this episode, Carin describes how she struggled within her seemingly picture-perfect life & career, how it took being robbed at gunpoint to start living her true life purpose, and how she has overcome fear, rejection and heartbreaking loss along the way. She also shares some powerful techniques for uncovering your life’s purpose, and describes how the clients she’s coached have transformed their lives.
Visit www.PurposeGirl.com and download your free Living on Purpose Guide to help you begin to uncover your purpose. You can also connect with Carin on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Kenn Day is a professional Shaman based in Cincinnati, Ohio. An internationally recognized lecturer, educator, and author with over twenty-five years’ experience exploring the mysteries of the human spirit, Kenn helps companies and organizations rediscover the healing power of deep connection with the collective soul. This work activates true problem engagement that brings about transformations essential to wellbeing and productivity.
Kenn describes what a professional shaman does, how his quest to heal from PTSD started him on his journey to become a shaman, and how he has helped businesses tune into their communal souls to heal their cultures and embrace change as gently as possible.
Learn more about Kenn’s work at www.bodysoulcincy.com.
Kim Foster Carlson is an award-winning broadcast journalist, athlete and author of the book "Good Enough: How to Overcome Fear of Failure and Perfectionism to Live Your Best Life."
In this episode, Kim shares why she wrote this book for millennials, who have been called “the most anxious generation”, and how her message has resonated with Baby Boomers too.
She describes her own struggle with perfectionism throughout her career, and how she discovered the importance of trying new things and becoming who you are meant to be without fearing failure.
You can find out more about Kim at www.kimfostercarlson.com, join her Facebook group, and buy her book on Amazon.
Adrienne Garland is the founder and CEO of She Leads Media, a boutique marketing consultancy and conference production company serving women-led businesses. She also runs the She Leads Annual Conference, which brings together new and experienced women entrepreneurs to share business tools, resources and advice that help level the playing field for women-led businesses.
In this episode, Adrienne describes the resources that women entrepreneurs need to build and finance their businesses. She also shares her own challenges as a corporate marketing executive turned founder & CEO of her own company.
Learn more about She Leads Media at www.sheleadsmedia.com, where you can also register for the She Leads Annual Conference on October 26, 2018 in NY City. Additionally, Adrienne encourages all women entrepreneurs to contact her at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com and share their challenges with launching and running their businesses, so she can create the resources they need to overcome those challenges!
Femi Opaneye is the Founder and CEO of Linked Optimization, which helps businesses generate B2B leads and sales through LinkedIn. He is a successful entrepreneur today -- but he almost didn’t survive to get to this point.
On this episode, Femi opens up about his difficult career journey, and the years of pain and struggle that preceded his success: working as a self-described “dreadful employee” in investment banking, losing his job, struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, returning to investment banking (and hating it again), and failing at his first few business ventures.
His honest story is a reminder that the road to success is not a straight line. His valuable advice for being tenacious through adversity will inspire you to keep learning & moving forward.
Learn more about Femi on LinkedIn and his business at www.linkedoptimization.com.
Dr. Ginny Baro is the CEO and founder of Fearless Women @Work, an executive coaching and career strategy company. She is also the #1 bestselling author of “Fearless Women at Work,” a motivational speaker, and a leadership expert.
On this episode, Ginny shares her own story of immigrating from the Dominican Republic as a child, being the first person in her family to go to college (and then going on to earn her MBA and PhD) , her 26-year corporate leadership career in IT, and how her divorce compelled her to reinvent herself into the entrepreneur and leadership coach she is today.
We discuss the importance of understanding your passion and value proposition, as well as practical advice for building relationships with mentors and sponsors at work. Ginny also describes her five powerful strategies for thriving in your career and life -- C.A.R.E.S.: Connect, Align, Rise, Envision, Seek -- from her book “Fearless Women at Work.”
Learn more about Ginny and her work on her website at www.Fearlesswomenatwork.com, where you can also request a complimentary coaching strategy session and sign up for her women’s Fearless Leadership Retreat on November 9-11, 2018 in Vernon, NJ.
Steven Riecker has been passionate about the outdoors for over 50 years. In 2017, he embarked on an EPIC journey and thru-hiked the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, over 5 months, through 14 states and hiked nearly 5 million footsteps. It transformed his life – and now he leads hikes for others on the Appalachian Trail as well.
On this episode, Steven describes his epic journey, how his best friend Roger’s battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has inspired him, and advice for achieving big life goals.
You can use these links to connect with Steven on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, support his fundraising for ALS and support Roger’s family.
Shannon Villalba is an entrepreneur, lawyer, and holistic health practitioner based in the Cincinnati area. During her bout with small cell cervical cancer, a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine cancer, she used many holistic and complementary medicine therapies in addition to traditional medical treatments. As a result of this journey, she created HIME Wellness: Healing through Inspiration, Motivation, and Education. HIME Wellness is a company that provides practitioners and the community at large with resources for holistic therapies, and provides the tools to help people live happier, healthier, meaningful, and more purpose-driven lives.
Learn more about HIME Wellness at www.himewellness.com and on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also email Shannon at info@himewellness.com for more information.
This episode features Katarina Garcia, a fashion designer & competitive tennis player who combined those passions to launch Katsey, her new athleisure apparel line for women ages 40 and older. Katarina discusses how she navigated the challenges leading up to her clothing line’s launch, and how she used LinkedIn to build business relationships with executives and venture capitalists, which ultimately led to a deal with the new fashion division of Amazon. She also shares her plans to use Katsey to support a much bigger dream that’s very close to her heart: preventing domestic violence through youth education.
Learn more about Katarina on LinkedIn and follow Katsey on Instagram at bekatsey and Twitter @BeKatsey.
Tyler Jackson is the owner and founder of Trove Branding Consultants, a social media management agency that caters to entrepreneurs, brands, and corporations worldwide. In this episode, Tyler shares valuable digital marketing and branding advice for small businesses, recommends the books that have helped her strengthen her skills as a business owner and build her team, and the importance of being a lifelong learner. Learn more about Trove Branding Consultants at their website www.TroveBrandingConsultants.com, on Facebook, and on Instagram @trovebranding.
Roxana Radulescu is a learning & development consultant who founded All Personal, where she provides coaching services for developing your personal skills (also known as “soft skills”). She is also the host of the All Personal podcast, which features stories about how people discover and use their unique sets of skills throughout their lives.
On this episode, Roxana shares the importance of building your strengths & skills like muscles and how she manages the challenges of being a new solo entrepreneur in a new country.
Learn more about Roxana at her website www.personalskillscoach.com or connect with her on LinkedIn, by email at all@personalskillscoach.com or phone at (647) 568-1596.
Mention the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast to get a free Discovery Coaching session & special invitation from Roxana!
Imagine you've invested years of your life in law school, landed a lucrative job at a prestigious big law firm, and … you absolutely hate it! What would you do?
Elena Deutsch has a solution for women lawyers who find themselves in this difficult situation. Elena is an experienced executive coach and career consultant who founded WILL: Women Interested in Leaving (big) Law. She helps women lawyers leave big law firms for a career and life filled with greater control and satisfaction.
Elena talks about why women get stuck being miserable working in big law firms, what inspired her to leave her successful coaching business to go out and start WILL on her own, and how she addresses the challenges of being a solopreneur. Women lawyers who want to make a career change can visit www.womeninterestedinleavinglaw.com to learn more about Elena’s services and check out some free resources.
Lizy Dastin is the owner and founder of Art and Seeking, a platform that bridges the gap between the mainstream art world to the unorthodox world of street art. Lizy shares how her idea for Art and Seeking came about during a low point in her life, why her business evolved its services from art-focused walking tours into a free digital archive of street art for the public and managerial support for artists, and what her craziest experiences have been while interviewing street artists.
Learn more about Lizy on the Art and Seeking website and Instagram, her podcast “Art Attack with Lizy Dastin and Justin Bua” or by emailing her at lizy@artandseeking.com.
After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Jeannette Wheatley spent 3 years volunteering with a charitable organization called World Hope for their hurricane relief efforts in Louisiana. Far from her home in Michigan and with a broken shoulder, Jeannette shares why she traveled to New Orleans to support hurricane victims, how she inspired businesses in her hometown to donate funds and materials to rebuild people’s lives, and how her faith in God led her to hear the call to volunteer and experience miracles large and small.
Jeannette continues to actively volunteer and support charitable causes. She is currently raising funds to build a community well with Pastor David Akong’o in Kisumu, Kenya. You can contact her on LinkedIn or email at jeannettewheatley@Ymail.com, or learn more at Pastor David’s church Facebook page, personal Facebook page, or Instagram.
Katharine Griffiths is a telecommunications veteran with a passion for gender equality, who is helping companies thrive by embracing gender diversity. She shares what inspired her to build her brand around gender equality, the unique methodology she has developed to drive gender diversity, and how sharing stories and working through conflict can help women and men create lasting change. You can contact Katharine on her website at www.katharinegriffiths.com, via email at katharinegriffiths@outlook.com or Twitter @KathyAGriffiths and read her articles on LinkedIn.
Conrad Agderian is the Founder and Owner of Conrad’s Concessions, a party equipment rental business in Bergenfield NJ. In this episode, he shares how he evolved his company from a side-hustle for “beer money” into a successful full-time business, why he left the 9-to-5 corporate working world behind to become an entrepreneur, and what he’s learned about providing excellent customer service and responding positively to negative feedback. You can contact Conrad at (201) 214-2125 or www.conradsconcessions.com, where you can also listen to his podcast, Victory Loves Company.
Avery Schrader is the Founder and CEO of Modash, a startup based in Tallinn, Estonia. Modash helps current & aspiring online content creators (like photographers, filmmakers, writers & social media influencers) find opportunities to partner and collaborate with established brands. These opportunities help content creators grow, create and do what they love.
In this episode, Avery discusses what inspired him to build a digital marketing start-up in a new country, how networking helps him find mentors, clients & employees, and the challenges of managing talent for a new company that is constantly evolving. He also shares advice for building your own personal brand and network, and how to get started with doing the things you love.
You can contact Avery on LinkedIn, at averyschrader@outlook.com and at www.modash.io . If you work in marketing, you can try out Modash’s platform for free by emailing hello@modash.io .
Deborah Davis is the Founder and Owner of PUSHLivingPhotos.com, a company that aims to increase photos and imagery of people with disabilities in the tourism, leisure and lifestyle mediums. She is also an accomplished speaker, trainer and consultant on the topic of Positive Disability Inclusion. In this episode, Deborah shares what sets her company apart from other stock image providers, how she helps empower people with disabilities through photo modeling and income-earning opportunities, and how she aims to change the public’s perception of disabilities and #ElevateDisability. Check out www.pushlivingphotos.com for authentic disability inclusive images and custom photography services, or contact Deborah at Deborah.Davis@pushliving.com or (866) 269-8335.
Kyle Elliott is the Career Coach behind CaffeinatedKyle.com, where he helps people find jobs they LOVE (or at least tolerate). On this episode, he shares how his diverse background in health education, public administration, mental health and LGBT+ advocacy helped him develop a coaching practice to guide people through their careers, while encouraging them to care for themselves along the way. We also talk about Kyle’s love of coffee (particularly Starbucks) and advice for being a good networker.
Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn and visit his website www.caffeinatedkyle.com for a free 5 day job search course.
This episode features Sara Holoubek, the CEO and founder of Luminary Labs, a consultancy that develops strategies and innovation systems to help Fortune 500, government, and nonprofit organizations thrive in the face of change. Sara discusses Luminary Labs’ groundbreaking work in open innovation, which brings together, guides and incents people and organizations to solve the “thorny problems that matter” in society, such as stemming chronic disease, closing the skills gap, rethinking the future of work, and using data to make smart cities safer.
Sara writes and speaks extensively on the intersection of technology, innovation, and humanity. She has been recognized by LinkedIn as a 2017 Top Voice in Technology, Mashable as a female founder to watch, SmartCEO magazine as a 2017 New York Brava award winner, and PepsiCo WIN for her contributions to women in technology. Sara holds a B.A. from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from HEC in France.
You can learn more about Luminary Labs at www.luminary-labs.com, where you can also sign up for their weekly Lab Report newsletter, and follow Luminary Labs on Twitter @luminarylabs. Additionally, practitioners of open innovation can participate in Luminary Labs’ Open Innovation Survey by emailing editor@luminary-labs.com.
Lauren Magura is the founder of Cinematcher, a matchmaking app that enables diverse talent to hire and get hired for film, TV and digital projects instantly and globally. In this episode, Lauren shares how she got the inspiration to create Cinematcher, her skills that help her succeed as an entrepreneur, and how she is growing and diversifying Cinematcher's reach and impact. You can contact Lauren at Lauren.Magura@cinematcher.com, visit www.cinematcher.com to download the iOS app and sign up for their newsletter, and follow Cinematcher on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Christine Gritmon is the founder of her own social media consulting company, Christine Gritmon Inc., which helps small local businesses strategically connect with their community of customers where they already are: social media. Most of her clients are based in NY in Rockland County and Westchester County. On this podcast she shares how her previous 3 careers helped prepare her for business ownership, the hard lessons she learned during her first year in business, and how she has reenergized and strengthened her business in Year 2.
You can contact Christine through her website christine.gritmon.com and on social media (of course!) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
What if you knew your true calling from an early age, but you were forbidden to pursue it? This was the situation that Barbara Monahan faced for most of her life, until a year of illness and loss fueled her to finally fulfill her life's purpose. On this podcast, Barbara shares her journey from Corporate to Cleric: how she made the transition from a long career in the corporate world to fulfill her true calling as a minister, spiritual director, author and coach.
You can contact Barbara on LinkedIn and learn more about her book “Tattitude: Don't over think me” on Amazon.
What would you do if your greatest talents were suddenly taken away from you? My guest in this episode, Kristal Murren, had over a decade of experience in leading leaders, cultivating organizational cultures and training trainers -- then her successful career was interrupted by a car accident that turned her life upside down. Kristal will talk about what happened, how she reclaimed her old strengths and developed new strengths during her recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and how she found the courage to fulfill her lifelong purpose and inspire others. She will also share what she learned from her experience, through a process she calls “walking through hell and taking notes.” You can reach Kristal at Kristal@bossygirl.org or (717) 460-4795 or connect with her on LinkedIn.
In this episode, Yvonne Connolly shares her experience with ageism in her job search: what it looks like, the impact of ageism, and advice for dealing with age discrimination as a job seeker. She also talks about her #100DaysofHelp social media campaign to connect job seekers to employment opportunities, resources and support. Yvonne shares what she is looking for in her next role, and we discuss the importance of mentoring, company culture, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. If you would like to contact Yvonne, you can reach her on her cell phone at (215) 272-0324 or via email at Yvonne.Connolly@gmail.com .
This episode features Anna Pilette, a Geophysicist and a Technologist out of Portland Oregon. Anna shares her experience working with robotics and drone technology, her thoughts on the future application of this technology, and how she brings her scientific experience together with her artistic interest through her art company, Atomic Dumpling Media. She is also looking for a role working with a drone manufacturer. Learn more about Anna at her website www.aspilette.com .
Anna’s bio:
For over two decades, Anna’s work has been focused on imaging things under the waterline. She has worked on a wide number of projects like locating shipwrecks, finding bombs, teaching law enforcement how to find bodies, and more mundane stuff like finding the problems with pipelines. Her work has taken her around the world on every type of marine and subsea project that exists.
She’s worked on every commercially based acoustic system, which were originally fixed, towed, and hull mounted sensors. Then, in 2008, she began working with autonomous vehicles. Since then, she’s extended her work to include remotely operated vehicles and unmanned vehicles of every type. Today, Anna specializes in remote sensors though acoustics and optics based on unmanned vehicles.
This podcast features Fennie Wang from the ixo network, a nonprofit organization that uses blockchain technology to create social impact. A lawyer by trade, Fennie discusses how she pivoted her career from traditional securities law to blockchain, the impact of a chance introduction to Ross Ulbricht (the infamous founder of the Silk Road darkweb market), and how her latest project with UNICEF uses blockchain to improve attendance tracking in South African preschools.
You can find more information about the ixo network at their website http://ixo.network/ and on Medium, Telegram and Slack.
This episode features Shobha Vanchiswar, a writer and artist in New York who is leveraging her talents to help children halfway around the world. Together with her daughter, niece and friends, she is supporting the education of HIV positive girls at an orphanage in India called Mukta Jivan. Shobha talks about how she first got started by bringing school supplies and money to the orphanage, then expanded her support to build and fund a music program there, and how she uses her artistic and writing talents to sustain the flow of funds and support for the children. You can learn more about Shobha’s work with Mukta Jivan at her website www.seedsofdesign.com/the-lucky-ones/the-lucky-ones/ and visit her online store of handpainted botanical notecards, soft furnishings and fabrics at www.seedsofdesign.com/shop/ and www.seedsofdesign.com/shop/the-printed-garden-collection/ (proceeds from the sales are donated to Mukta Jivan).
How can a pair of spoons change people’s lives and support a community? In today’s episode, we answer these questions with Lynn Urlaub, the owner of Cuddle Spoons – the fun and functional spoons that are easy to hold and make adorable gifts for everyone! Lynn shares the story of how her partner Ken created Cuddle Spoons after he became disabled, how the spoons are helping people with disabilities feed themselves and be more independent, and how their business is raising funds to support the Houston community in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. A certified SCRUM master with extensive experience in office management and project management, Lynn also discusses her ongoing job search for a full-time job as an Office Manager in the Houston area.
You can find more information about Cuddle Spoons at www.cuddlespoons.com , where you can also purchase the spoons directly.
Cuddle Spoons is also helping to support Joyce & Adam Romero, a local Houston area couple who lost everything in the hurricane. If you would like to add a small donation to your Cuddle Spoons purchase to support Joyce & Adam, please email CuddleSpoons@gmail.com.
You may also donate directly to Joyce & Adam’s Youcaring site at https://www.youcaring.com/joyceandadamromero-969666 .
This episode features Petal Pennycooke, the Founder and Chief Executive Right Hand of Executive Right Hand, a premium provider of support to C-suite executives who are in transition in their careers. Executive Right Hand offers a wide range of services tailored to the unique needs of its senior executive clients, making their career transitions seamless.
We'll learn how Petal got the inspiration to start Executive Right Hand, how she is growing her business, what she has learned along the way, and how her business helps combat age discrimination (ageism) in the job market.
You can find more information about Executive Right Hand at www.executiverighthand.com or on social media on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
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First impressions can take as little as 6 seconds to make!
In a world where things just seem to be speeding up, how do we slow down enough to get past that narrow 6-second window, and really learn about each other? In our society’s rush to consume information as quickly as possible, whose amazing and unique stories don’t we get to hear?
That’s where the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast comes in! Join me, Carolyn Kiel, as I uncover stories of life and creativity, triumph and struggle, with a focus on neurodiversity. Starting in 2022, I’m featuring neurodivergent guests on my show, including those who are autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic, have ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome, and more.
Their stories of entrepreneurship, creativity and advocacy will shatter misconceptions, break stigma and showcase the vibrance and diversity of this community. And, as a neurodivergent person myself, I’ll be sharing my own story as well.
To listen, go to beyond6seconds.net or follow the show in your favorite podcast player.
Music credit: "Dream Catcher" by Gyom - PremiumBeat.com
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Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.