GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland’s very own Lizz Maxwell and Missy Gibel join the show!

We are back highlighting playhouses in celebration of 20 Years of Believing at GiGi’s Playhouse!! These 2 have pretty amazing stories to share, it was hard to fit them both in! Missy was on the team that started the 3rd playhouse to ever open back in 2006 in Chicago! She is a strong momma bear that just wanted to create a place for her daughter and other families that didn’t have a place to feel welcomed. Her family then moved to Cleveland, so she had to bring a playhouse with her! She then took it upon herself to open GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland with the help of an incredible team. This introduces Lizz Maxwell, who does not have a child with Down syndrome but does have a heart large enough to support an entire city of people with Down syndrome. Lizz is the Site Director of GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland and has helped in building up GiGi’s Playhouse to be a staple of the Cleveland community! This episode sheds some light on the heart and soul that goes into bringing a GiGi’s Playhouse into existence and the impacts it makes. Each and every one of us has a fire deep within ourselves that burns on passion. All it takes is the right outlet to further fuel that flame. We hope this episode and all our episodes help you in finding that fuel, or what we call your “Little Something Extra”.

See the video version of this episode here: https://gigisplayhouse.org/alittlesomethingextra

Ellen Boyer, founder and president of The Brett Boyer Foundation, joins the show! This episode is a bit heavier than others, but so beautiful, inspirational, and important. Ellen talks with us about her journey of turning tragedy into inspiration. At just 7 months old, Ellen and her husband lost their beloved Brett to complications due to congenital heart disease. Ellen and her family turned the tragedy into their life mission to celebrate Brett and others with Down syndrome while also raising awareness and funding to research solutions for congenital heart disease. This episode is a beautiful testament to her daughter and a testament to everyone who has faced tragedy/adversity in life. As we can learn from Ellen, it’s not the adversity that defines who you are, it’s how you respond to it.

Watch the video version of this episode here.

Throughout 2023, GiGi’s Playhouse is celebrating 20 Years of Believing, with an emphasis on highlighting the incredible people that have helped change the face of the Down syndrome diagnosis. On this week’s episode of A Little Something Extra, we are highlighting the founder of our Phoenix location! Jennifer Gage joins us to talk about what inspired her to help in bringing a GiGi’s Playhouse location to her community. Jen is a mother of 4 kids, including an amazing daughter with Down syndrome. Along with being a mother, she is an advocate and entrepreneur. Jen G embodies the Generation G mindset in all she does, with the goal of spreading Acceptance, Generosity, and Kindness to everyone she meets. We featured Jen to share her amazing story to show viewers like you that anyone has the ability to go out and change the world as long as you have the passion for doing so. Stay tuned throughout the rest of the year as we continue to pull in the founders and MVPs of GiGi’s Playhouses from around the country in hopes of inspiring others to go out and follow their “Little Something Extra’s” and make this world a better place.

Watch the video version of this episode here.

With World Down Syndrome Day just around the corner, this week’s episode of A Little Something Extra feels a bit more special! To celebrate, we spoke with the founder of The Lucky Few, Heather Avis! Heather is a New York Times best-selling author, podcaster, and a Down syndrome advocate, working to create a more inclusive world where everyone belongs. The Lucky Few has grown from this concept of celebrating those lucky enough to be influenced by a Down syndrome diagnosis to a lifestyle brand and organization that is synonymous with the Down syndrome Diagnosis. The Lucky Few concept has now become a global storytelling movement, shifting narratives to create a more inclusive world where everyone belongs.  

In this episode, Heather talks with us about her incredible journey as a mother of 3 kids, 2 having Down syndrome, and the perspective it has given her when it comes to celebrating who we are. We then dive into the mission of The Lucky Few and the global impact it has made on the Down syndrome diagnosis and the members of its community. GiGi also shares some tips on living your best life, and of course, we learn the Little Something Extra of a world-class changemaker. A perfect episode for celebrating a perfect day of recognition! We hope you enjoy it!

You can also watch the video here:https://gigisplayhouse.org/alittlesomethingextra/

On this week's episode of A Little Something Extra, we are joined by the absolutely incredible Madison Tevlin! Staring in the upcoming movie, Champions, premiering Friday, March 10th. Madison is a 21-year-old with Down syndrome, but she likes to say her diagnosis is the least interesting thing about her. I think after listening, anyone would agree! You may remember Madison from her viral video back in 2012 of her singing “All of Me” by John Legend. Well, she didn’t stop there! Fast forward to today, and she is an actress, model, influencer, and advocate. She continues to show the world that no diagnosis should hold you back from following your dreams. We hope you love this one as much as we did!

See the video version here: https://gigisplayhouse.org/alittlesomethingextra/

In this episode of A Little Something Extra, we are joined by someone who not only goes above and beyond to make an impact but who also celebrates going above and beyond to change the world. Andrew Moses is the Vice President of Business Development & Marketing at MorganFranklin Consulting. Though if you ask him, he identifies himself as a super-connector and thought leader, sharing the stories and success tips from people in sports, business, and everyday life leading by example. In this episode we discuss his backstory, which led to the philosophy that inspired his podcast, Everybody Pulls the Tarp. Nancy, GiGi, Franco, and Andrew discuss the importance of being a team player and how it translates to all facets of life. We also discuss ways of handling life and being able to battle through the curveballs that get thrown at you. We hope this episode will inspire you to dig deep into the moments that challenge you and to know that no one is too important or too high on the totem pole where they shouldn’t help pull the tarp!

Watch the video version of this episode at https://gigisplayhouse.org/alittlesomethingextra/

On this episode of A Little Something Extra, we are joined by two really special guests to GiGi’s and the Down syndrome community! Our first guest is a former standup comedian, turned non-profit entrepreneur, who has used his expertise in the comedy industry to create an improved troupe called the Imporvaneers! This improv troupe is the first to ever solely consist of individuals with Down syndrome. Our second guest is one of many incredible self-advocates that GiGi’s is lucky enough to have as part of our network. Along with being a self-advocate, he is also a hilarious comedian and original member of the Improvaneer Method!

In our conversation, Rob talks about his inspiring life’s journey from starting as an aspiring comedian in Chicago, to running a non-profit that is changing the lives of individuals with Down syndrome. He also talks with us about the benefits that improv has on people with unique abilities.

Nick, the BIG DAWG himself, then joins the show to talk about his journey and how The Imporvaneer method has changed his life! We hope you enjoy this super fun and interesting episode of A Little Something Extra. Don’t forget to listen in for GiGi’s tips on “not taking yourself too seriously”!

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/R1kxdUEimyc

On today’s new episode of A Little Something Extra, we are joined by two incredible gentlemen all that way from Ireland! This father/son duo is paving the way for change on an international scale, traveling all around the world to show people the beauty of Down syndrome and all their unique abilities!

Fionn and Jonathan join the podcast to discuss their 26-year journey, navigating the complex work of living life with a unique ability. We hear about Fionn and Jonathan creating their production company, Fionnathan Production, and how they leverage Fionn’s diagnosis to make it all possible! Fionn also shows off some of his talents on the fiddle (and gives a little glimpse of how it works on the ladies). We also hear about their journey that has taken them all around the world in the pursuit of change from the start till now!

Fionn and Jonathan are a true testament to leveraging the hand life deals you into a life of learning, adventure, and love! Make sure to listen to the end to hear GiGi’s tips and some warm words about the beauty of life, specifically about sharing life with someone who makes you value each and every day. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Check out the video version of the episode on our website: alittlesomethingextrapodcast.org

This week’s episode takes us back to earlier this year when Nancy GiGi and Franco were joined by Dr. Brian Skotko at the National Down Syndrome Conference! Dr. Skotko is a Board-certified medical geneticist, serving as the Emma Campbell Endowed Chair on Down Syndrome at Massachusetts General Hospital. As the Director of the hospital’s Down Syndrome Program, he has dedicated his professional energies to children with cognitive and developmental disabilities. It was because of his sister, (Kristin) who has Down syndrome, that he originally found his calling first as an advocate, then later as a doctor.

Through Brian’s passion and dedication towards serving individuals with Down syndrome, he has created many amazing resources both for them and their families! During his first year at Harvard Medical School, he co-authored a book titled Common Threads: Celebrating Life With Down Syndrome. A book that profiles the accomplishments of 59 different people with Down syndrome! Fast forward 8 years, where he then wrote another book dedicated to helping siblings better understand the Down syndrome diagnosis, titled: Fasten Your Seatbelt: A Crash Course on Down Syndrome for Brothers and sisters.

Now Brian joins the podcast to tell us about his journey to better the lives of all people affected by Down syndrome and his most recent endeavor, Down Syndrome Clinics 2 You (DSC2U)! A platform created to provide personalized care plans for families that do not have access to any specialized Down syndrome clinics. This episode is full of incredible insight into resources and information given by a leading industry expert! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

This episode of A Little Something Extra goes out to the siblings! The theme is Standing Up for Your Siblings, and do we have a guest that has gone above and beyond to do just that. We are joined by Jeanhee Hoffman, a sibling of a brother with Down syndrome, who founded GiGi’s Playhouse Raleigh.

Jeanhee has an incredible story, that is filled with love and inspiration. Jeanhee and her brother, Sam, are second generation Korean Americans, and she shares with us her families’ experiences from a different cultural perspective. She talks on her and Sam’s experiences growing up in a less inclusive society and the challenges it posed as a sibling. It was not until 2015 when Jeanhee stumbled upon a place where her brother can grow and feel at home!

After seeing the impact that GiGi’s had on her brothers life, she vowed to make sure there was a place in her community for families like hers could have a place to call home. Listen now to hear how a sibling finding a place for her brother, sparked a flame within her to create a playhouse of her own community!