Life’s a Road Trip

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. Today's guest is Isaac Harvey. My first encounter with Isaac was via a few casual posts that he made on LinkedIn as he shared his encounters. Then I noticed his posts change, both in tone (slightly) and topic (more pointed). It was here that I contacted him to be on Life's a Road Trip. With every new show and every guest, I find that my direction has changed to that of joining the call for the disability community to shake things up. To do this, leaders must rise to lead the way. I view Isaac as being on the tip of the spear. And though he shares his fatigue at times, he seems to gain strength and is more and more ready to embrace his forward position. Listen to what he has to say. Read what he shares. He is an unabashed voice that is needed. Check out Wheels and Wheelchairs HERE. Watch the YouTube video "Now I'm using my hours to help someone else"HERE. Yes... that is Isaac with King Charles! Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Kale Sudhoff. It took just a few episodes for me to notice that almost every guest has a thread that runs through their early life right up to where they are now. The exception with Kale is that he is still a teenager -- a high school senior! But as you listen to our discussion, you too will see the thread that runs through him: That of a caring and empathetic person well beyond his years. Kale uses his talent for drawing and storytelling to pull you in as a reader. More than likely, it would be as a reader of bedtime stories to your young children. Go ahead and take a look at his most recent book, Danny and Kevin Conquer Camping HERE. And be sure to scan his first book in the series, Danny the Duck Heads South HERE. I think Kale is going to take that thread and run with it! Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Chris Ruden. I was drawn to Chris as a guest because I knew that we would get along well. You see, we both understand the male ego, we draw from our time as athletes (his being current and mine from my past), and we both accept failing but not failure. Take a look at THIS video; it's the one that I refer to in the opening. This is a great example of accepting failing but not failure. It's a human condition that truly is within all of us. If you want more detail, pick up Chris' book, The Upper Hand, HERE. Chris is considered a 'Motivational Speaker'. But that's just a categorization in order to set us up for what's to come. I found him to be open and honest and with no labels attached. While listening to our discussion, take special note of Chris' greatest fear then bop over to his WEBSITE and check out the photo of Chris in the header to witness what may be his greatest accomplishment by openly exposing what he hid for so many years. A 600-pound deadlift was nothing compared to this. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Nate Methot May is National ALS Awareness Month (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease) so we're ahead of the calendar, but I couldn't wait to drop this episode any longer. You see, Nate is now in his second decade of dealing with this debilitating disease and his message is too important to hold. As you'll hear in this episode, we read parts of his book, A Life Derailed: My Journey with ALS (Link), Nate's speech has been affected -- something he unnecessarily apologizes for -- but we wanted him to read certain passages so you know it comes from his heart. I want you, the listener, to get the full scope of Nate's travel from bouncing quarters before his diagnosis (Video -- Nate's in there!) to Nate getting out of bed as the disease progressed (Video). Even as he has been weakened by ALS, Nate has become stronger. Few of us have the strength to share so much with others. It's a human condition that we so often overlook. I was honored to be a part of this recording. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Jackie Schuld. Jackie was gracious to do the interview while she was in the process of moving from the Southwest to the Northeast. No, it wasn't while she was driving a U-Haul truck along an interstate highway. Jackie is our third guest to discuss autism. Her view is a bit different as she uses art to work with newly identified autistics and those who suspect they might be autistic. Her objective is to help autistics who felt broken their entire lives, who experienced a lifetime of feeling too much and yet not enough, or who couldn't learn to trust themselves, because they believed something was wrong with them. To learn more about Jackie's methods, visit her website HERE. Many of her clients live around the country and work remotely with her. Jackie is also an author. Check out Grief is a Mess. By the way, the photo is of Jackie standing in front of my favorite work of her art. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Cam Beaudoin. After I read Cam's post and image of what I call the "Gap Kid", I immediately went into research mode, and within a few minutes, I messaged him to request an interview. But that post only scratched the surface of Cam's work. Like many entrepreneurs, it was an unintended adventure while at corporate giant IBM that led him to his company, Accelerated Accessibility (check it out HERE) where his mission is to make technology more accessible for all users. The following quote from Cam should give you a good idea of what he's all about: “Together, we can drive the Disability Inclusion Revolution” Oh... In case you're wondering what a11y means: Count the number of letters between the A and Y in the word 'accessibility. Cam wears his sense of purpose on his head. The Gap Kid Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Shannon Hartinger Being a soccer rat myself, Shannon and I agreed from the outset to avoid 'talking soccer'. This was very difficult for us as the boys Wisconsin State League team that I coach begins training this week and Shannon's high school girls team at Loyola Academy has been playing matches. For this episode, we talked about the TOPSoccer program that is sponsored by US Youth Soccer. TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a recreational sports program for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities offered only through local US Youth Soccer-affiliated soccer clubs. The program provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive, and inclusive. If you know of someone who's interested or would benefit -- or for clubs that would like to bring TOPSoccer into their program -- visit their website HERE. As a soccer person, I'm proud to know that the game I love is available to more people. Check out the brief video HERE to learn more! Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Denis Boudreau. From the beard to the tat, Denis is what he says he is, straightforward. Denis knows his material, the ins and outs of inclusion, and he gives a damn. Listen to Denis and you'll come away with a much better understanding of what it's like for those who need accommodation and accessibility when attending a lecture, meeting, or visiting what may be your website. Denis has a way of breaking things down to what should or should have been 'simple'. To get a taste of this, pick up his book, The Inclusive Speaker (Link). Or take his "How inclusive do you think you are as a speaking professional?" quiz (Link). Visit his website to learn more or even reach out to Denis (Link) -- he's easy to talk with. We should all come away after listening to Denis asking "How inclusive am I?" Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Lori Frisher. The title of a podcast needs to have a hook. 'The Who' has the song, Athena. But that isn't the hook I was looking for. So I Googled "badass Greek goddess" and Athena came up. Bingo! Lori is a badass fighter. She's a disrupter, which is where I've been driving the podcast for the past month. During the show, we talked about her receiving Cochlear Implants. Not about her being the first to do so, but about how hearing impacted her life. Lori mentioned the sounds of water and coins being dropped onto a countertop. Think about those sounds for a moment... She made me appreciate my sense of hearing -- especially since I lack the sense of touch. I pointed out my theory that before the implants, her experiences of missed inside jokes, being a collegiate athlete, and working with Walter Cronkite combined to form a thread that led her to her company, Ready Or Not! Media. No, the ! isn't a typo -- it's intentional. And it doesn't surprise me that this modern-day Athena uses it to send a message. As I do with all my guests, Lori and I talked more after the recording stopped. As we said our goodbyes, I told her to "Kick some ass!". She immediately responded, "You do the same!". We both will continue doing so. Miss-Adventures: Guide to Ultimate Empowerment for Women Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Sandie Roberts Right from the start, I knew Sandie was deeper than her good looks as a model. Just four years into being a full-fledged member of the disability community, she's breaking the glass walls and the glass ceiling that surrounds this much-suppressed group. This is evident from the heading of her website: "Rolling into confidence, let’s create the life we deserve!" Sandie uses her platform as a model to bring "normalcy" to the labels that society places upon us. She is a positive role model rather than a positive rolling model (sorry for the corny joke). As I strive to point this show in a new direction, Sandie and I discussed the guilt that comes with becoming disabled as an adult: The misdirected guilt of being a burden upon our family. Sandie was also comfortable discussing her recent online encounters with some very troubling people. You can read about that HERE on BBC News. It's real, so let's talk about it. Sandie's cover photo is by Deb Burrows Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Deirdre Fagan #loveforward is both a personal statement for the way Deirdre lives her life and a suggestion to the rest of us to do the same. Simple, isn't it? Deirdre is the third author to appear on Life's a Road Trip, but she is the first poet as well. Listen to her read Most of the Days of the Week, or read it HERE. Pick up The Grief Eater or grab her husband, Bob's book, After Thunder, a courageous collection of poetry as he succumbed to ALS -- Lou Gehrig's Disease. Since this episode first aired, Deirdre's last book, Phantom Limbs, has been published. Speaking of Bob's ordeal with ALS, you must purchase Find a Place for Me, Deirdre's raw and very personal account of Bob's dealings through his bout with the illness that he knew would eventually kill him. It is pointed and she doesn't shy away from the truth -- oftentimes with humor. It certainly had me holding my laughter as best I could during one of Deirdre's readings. For those who are interested in learning more about the man, Lou Gehrig, read the story behind the movie, Pride of the Yankees. You'll have no problem finding it online to watch. You can watch Gehrig's famous farewell speech HERE. This episode is perhaps a shift in the tone of the Life's a Road Trip podcast. Let's be real. Let's face life with a smile. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Becca Lory Hector. I was very happy to have Becca on to discuss her dealing with autism. This allowed me to add another layer to my first show with Mark Harris who provided us with a baseline about autism through his short story, Mute, and the video series that he produced for parents, Interacting with Autism: A video-based resource. Becca is totally in -- mind, body, and soul -- to help those who sit on the autistic spectrum. Be it her personal website, her training company, Truly Inclusive Leadership, or her podcast, The Info Dump Files, you'll find Becca reaching out her helping hand. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Anessa Powell. It seems the more shows that I do, the more I'm pulled into the much-maligned and severely underrepresented disability community. This episode added fuel to my fire. Anessa Powell is well ahead of me on this front. I found her to be a warrior when it comes to supporting disabled folks who are searching for a career -- not just a job. Listening to her talk about her company, AllAbility Recruiting, will rev you up as well. She is passionate about helping employers understand the rules and nuances of the hiring process for those with disabilities while supporting those who need accommodation in the workplace or are better prepared for an interview. Perhaps the best way to summarize Anessa's work is the trademarked statement found in the header of the AllAbility website: Leave No Ability Behind Anessa's website is available HERE. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Amy Cook. I first came across Amy's work by reading Clipping In, a story that pleasantly ties together portions of her life that many of us can relate to and all of us will enjoy. It was here that I learned about Amy's condition, Central Muscular Hypotonia -- Think Cerebral Palsy Next, Amy takes us along on her runs through the area where she lives in New York City. What makes the imagery of Spring Picture Roll, 2020 unique is that it is during the dark days of COVID. My favorite line and one that represents her vision so well is "The sky, peppered with Bob Ross clouds, is at its most outgoing cyan." Finally, Amy reads The Shadow Child for us. It's the preamble that pulled me in: "This is a piece about my family's history in relation to the Holocaust and secrets that were kept from children." It's eye-opening, and it offers yet another layer to what we know about the Holocaust. Care to read more of Amy's work? Visit her website and enjoy. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Shuan Butcher. Having been an able-bodied athlete before I became a quad amputee, I went into this interview with Shuan already having an understanding of the importance of sport. To me, soccer was my art and I assume that the same love for one's sport is in every adaptive athlete. Discussing Shuan's work with Move United, Move United Magazine, and the Redefining Disability Podcast, solidified my belief that an athlete is an athlete, whether he or she is 'whole' or has a disability. Shuan is a rare individual in that he 'fits' his various roles -- or perhaps they fit him. After learning about his experiences as a background actor in such hit shows as Netflix’s House of Cards and AMC’s Making the Mob, I'll be watching for him on my television screen in the future. For more about Shuan, visit his website. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode as I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Becky Kekula. The single sentence definition of the word 'Inclusion' is "The action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure". Now let's expand that a bit: "The practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups". That's better, but not quite there yet. Becky looks at Inclusion differently. In my view, she shifts the light from the term being a political volleyball to being educational. As I found on her website, Becky "strives to teach acceptance while educating and motivating all people to establish goals and work hard to accomplish them." This is part of Becky's mission during her more than 400 speaking engagements. Becky was born with achondroplasia, the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism. Unknown to me, there are more than 300 types of dwarfism. Being a proud 'Little Person', she uses her stature to present a bold platform from which she spouts in support of education rather than confrontation -- though she's not afraid to share her humanity about those who are immature in accepting of those that look different from their morning mirror. Care to experience Becky's candid views? Watch her TEDx Talk appropriately titled "Disability is Not the Problem... Fear is the Problem" HERE. Go ahead. You probably need a bit of an adjustment in your perspective. We all do from time to time. Of course, in preparing for this interview, I watched Becky's presentation more than once. Two statements stood out to me: “Fear is a product of misunderstanding” “I continue to believe that despite what others may say no goal or dream of mine is impossible” Bravo, Becky. Bravo! Want to learn more? Visit her website HERE. One last thing: Watch for a book titled Just Call Me Becky which is part on paper and part heading in that direction.

This is an encore production while I focus on my teaching. Enjoy! This week's guest is Chris Kuell. Chris is a blind writer, editor, and advocate for the blind. He edits The Federationist, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. Chris is also the president of his local NFB chapter, serves on the NFB of Conn., board of directors, as well as on the board of directors of BESB, the Connecticut state agency for the blind. His articles, essays, and stories have appeared in several literary, and some not-so-literary publications. The cover shot for this episode tells you a lot about Chris -- He has an edge about him. As I refer to more than once during our conversation, I hope to tip a pint or two with Chris and talk about Life. As you will learn from this episode, Chris provides a unique perspective on writing and I believe is on track to become an industry-published novel with his story, Rub It In (Love the title!), in which he has returned to the revision stage. Chris is using his self-published book, Morris, to test the waters of publishing. Also in his stable of projects is the online magazine, Breath & Shadow, in which Chis is the Editor In Chief. A collection of the best stories from Breath & Shadow is found in Dozen, for which proceeds go to running the magazine. To learn more about Chris Kuell, visit his website.

This is an encore production while I focus on my teaching. Enjoy! I had the honor of hosting Mark Jonathan Harris, winner of three Academy Awards for his work on a variety of important documentaries that present the stark reality of such topics as post-WWII and the events that led to the creation of the State of Israel (The Long Way Home) and the British rescue operation known as the Kindertransport, which saved the lives of over 10,000 Jewish and other children from Nazi Germany by transporting them to Great Britain (Into the Arms of Strangers). But it was his short story, Mute, that drew me to contact Mark. Mute is the fictional story of how a father coped with learning that his toddler son, Samual, was autistic. In Mark's story, the father and his wife first struggle with not only the reality of autism but with finding no clear explanation or direction. A pivot point comes in the father's observation that Sammy is settled by the story of Curious George along with a stuffed monkey that his father gifts him. After tiring of running into brick wall after brick wall without finding any sense of direction from professionals, the father decides to trust his observations of his son and his comfort with monkeys. Read Mute, I know that you will find this story worthy of becoming a film. I hope you make it so, Mark. To learn more about autism, visit Interacting with Autism: A video-based resource. Visit Mark's personal website to find out more about his award-winning films and stories.

This week's guest is Rachael Mole. As always, I do a deep dive into learning about my guests. Each of Rachael's layers had the same keyword: Energy. And like all of my guests, Rachael cares. She cares about those she serves. And she cares about the disabled community. To avoid using the label of age, Rachael has done a great deal in a short time. Where she stands now is as the creator and head of Moleworks Solutions Ltd. (Link). By the way, Rachael's power source is a hybrid -- her battery recharges as she helps others. Keep on keep'n on, Rachael!

This week's guest is Puneet Singhal. Puneet is a stammerer and much of our discussion was about his work with this portion of the disabled community. Thinking back to our discussion, not once did he stammer. Not once. Now, check out this video of a presentation Puneet gave as he talked about his life with stammering. He's calm, cool, and collected. But he's more than this. See his LinkedIn profile (Link) and scan down the list. And then there is his work with the worldwide organization, Billion Strong (Link). No, Puneet can't be tagged with a single label. Nor can he be labeled as wearing one hat -- he's a man of many.