A Little Something Extra

Kim and Jen, Co-Founders of the new dating platform for adults with Autism, join the show! The Mix is a new platform for helping adults with autism find love or friendships in a safe and fun community!

Kim and Jen have been working in the Autism community for a long time. Kim is a school psychologist and Jen is a social worker and BCBA. In their experience, they both noticed the lack of resources available to people with disabilities after high school, especially the lack of resources that help develop social skills and relationship building. So, they created a platform to help people with autism meet new people, build relationships and just socialize in a safe environment!

In this episode we talk all about; the inception of this idea, the current environment for people with autism and other disabilities, how the platform works and the importance of love and relationships in the lives of everyone! This episode is so important because it sheds light on a new resource that so many desperately need. To learn more about The Mix, check them out on social media @TheMixDating or visit their website at www.themixdating.com

See the video version of the episode here.

We are joined on this episode by Courtney and Thomas Hawthorne III, or T3! You may have seen him on social media when a video of him hitting a home run went MEGA viral! We saw the clip and knew we had to get them on to share their story!

Thomas is your everyday 9-year-old kid, but also has a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, which is a genetic bone disease that causes fragile bones that easily break. Though T3 has this diagnosis, he still loves sports, playing with friends, playing video games and exploring the world! His mom, Courtney, created his platform to share his story and show the world that even when diagnoses can cause limitations, life should still be lived to the fullest!

In the episode, we hear the story of his diagnosis from his mom’s perspective. She talks about how she never expected to be on this turbulent journey and how the family has fully embraced it. We also discuss the impact that sharing milestones in life can have on people’s perceptions. T3 then tells us a bit about his joys, dreams, and aspirations in life! This heart-filled episode shows us that, regardless of what life throws at us, we can all hit it out of the park!

See the video version of this episode here

 This episode features an amazing mother! Katrina Placzek and her daughter, Dallas, can be seen all over social media spreading awareness about the importance of understanding and inclusion! Dallas was diagnosed at 2 years old with Cerebral Palsey, but her diagnosis sure hasn’t stopped her from living her best life! Katrina, Dallas’ mom has been an amazing advocate for her daughter, sharing her journey and helping spread the importance of inclusion! This has led her to creating a non-profit called The Recess Project!

In this episode, we hear all about Dallas and Katrina’s story. Starting with Dallas’ diagnosis and the fear it brought to her young mother. We then dive into how amazing Dallas’s life has been along with some of the limitations that inspired her mom to step in! Katrina then shares her journey starting The Recess Project, a non-profit that helps in creating more inclusive playgrounds for kids with disabilities. It is an amazingly humble episode, that will touch anyone’s heart! We hope you enjoy it!

See the video version of this episode here.

Advocate and non-profit entrepreneur, Reilly Cate Ferguson, joins the Show!! At just 13 years old Reilly walked into GiGi’s Nashville to volunteer her time, having no connection to disabilities. The experience was so impactful on her that at just 15, she started her own non-profit serving people with Down syndrome! As founder and president of Brushfield International, she is on a mission to enhance the global Down syndrome story by providing community, hope, and support to people impacted by Down syndrome!

In this episode, Reilly tells us the story of her journey, starting with her time volunteering at GiGi’s Nashville, her inspiration to start Brushfield International, and how she has been able to balance life as only a freshman in college! She shares what she has learned so far, how her connection to Down syndrome was formed, a beautiful message to the world, what the future holds for her, and of course her inspirational ‘something extra’! This episode is all about being a change-maker and how it doesn’t matter your background, the key is just finding your purpose! With this one, we hope to inspire more people to live like Reilly!

See the video version of this episode here

On this episode we are joined by Valeriia and Anya, known on social media as VallitFit and Anyundik . They are sisters, fitness influencers, and advocates showcasing their amazing relationship and fitness journey all across social media. What is even more incredible is Anya has done all of this while having an extra 21st chromosome! She isn’t letting that little something extra stop her from showing the world her strength.

In this episode we hear all about their journey, from growing up in Ukraine, then being separated and finally reunited in the United States! Valeriia tells us all about how this fitness journey began, where it has taken them and how her sister quickly stole the spotlight. Anya shows us some of her favorite workouts, her incredible art skills and we learn a lot about their healthy diets. This episode is filled with lots of heart, laughs, plus some important lessons about staying healthy and loving family. A perfect episode for anyone to see! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Watch the video version of this here.

Listen to a tasty new episode of the podcast as Shawn Askinosie of Askinosie Chocolate joins the show!

An author and chocolatier, Shawn shares his inspirational journey of how he left the courtroom (practicing law for twenty years!) to follow his true passion in life. Shawn swaps stories with us about what it means to run an ethical chocolate company, how he found his passion, and how he helps others find their passion. Shawn even explains how all of us doing “a little something extra” every day has the power to change the world.

It’s a fun, inspiring episode. Grab your favorite sweet treat and give it a listen!

Watch the video version of this episode here.

Dive into our latest episode of the podcast with Mary Borman, aka “Mermaid Mary”! Back by popular demand, Mary brings a wave of fresh stories that’ll leave you hooked! 

Catch up with Mary as she talks about her life both in and out of the water. A competitive swimmer, model, public speaker, and self-advocate, Mary wears many hats (or fins)! Mary sits down with Nancy, GiGi, and Franco to discuss her triathlon training, the importance of nutrition, and she even shares some model-worthy tips! 

This episode is a boatload of fun! Don’t miss out, tune in now!  

See the video version of this podcast here.

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!! In this special episode of the podcast, Franco takes the solo hosting reins, but he’s far from alone. Multiple members of the GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough Youth Board join the show! Comprised entirely of teenagers, the Hillsborough #GenerationG Youth Board is leading the way on inclusion and acceptance for the next generation. They sit down with Franco to discuss how their initial involvement as volunteers sparked a greater passion, and how they’re working to promote inclusion, understanding, and plenty of fun and lively events in their community! They even share how something as simple as (so-so) face painting can help promote kindness and acceptance!

This episode is both entertaining and inspiring -- you won’t want to miss it!

Watch the video version of this episode here.

A close friend of the podcast, Matthew Schwab, joins the show!! OMG, we are so excited about this episode. Matthew Schwab is a public speaker, self-advocate, founder of Matthew Schwab Speaks AND a fiancé! If you have never had the pleasure of meeting Matt, you have likely seen his viral engagement video on social media. He is seriously one of the most incredible individuals anyone can ever meet.

This episode is just GiGi and Franco hosting! Franco and Matt go way back, so it’s a typical buddy-buddy conversation. We kick things off by talking about his recent engagement with his beautiful Lucia, surprising his mom with the news, walking us through the whole proposal experience, his life living independently, and all of his amazing accomplishments, including starting a self-advocacy company! He drops some knowledge on us about what it means to be “typical” and the importance of seeing past a diagnosis. We love this episode because it’s all about the importance of having friends from different areas of life and the value it can bring! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

“We are all typical in our own right because we have the same strengths, the same weaknesses, and the same emotions about the life we want to live. So even though a disability is something we have inside of us, and it may affect us more than others but ultimately we are typical people.” - Matthew Schwab.

Watch the video version of this episode on our website.

Father and son authors Andrew and David Olshine join the show! Andrew and his father, David, join us to talk all about their journey which ultimately led to the creation of their brand-new book, Fearless as a Honey Badger, Brave Like a Wolverine.

In this episode, David, an established Author of 16 books, tells us about his experience as a father of a son with Down syndrome and how he embraced the diagnosis to create the best life possible for his son. Andrew (who we would all want as a best friend) is a miracle in his own right! He shares his story of overcoming Gulliane Barre Syndrome and how his bravery and strength helped him overcome the virus. After recovering, his dad helped him channel that bravery and his love for animals into their latest book! We then dive into some fun conversations about our greatest fears, our favorite animals, the experience of co-writing a book together, some inspirational words to live by, and of course some great ‘Little Something Extras’! It is a super fun episode with a really amazing father/son duo. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

To purchase their new book, visit: Home | Fearless Brave Book 

Watch the video version of this episode here