We get asked all the time what are the best careers, the how to’s on choosing a university, picking a major, or choosing a job, because living with an illness/disability makes that selection unique to others. This second themed-group of episodes is called “So You Got that Diagnosis…Now What” and for the next six episodes, we’ll feature special guests that have built exceptional careers all while living with illness and disability. We’re so lucky our first guest is award-winning children’s book author, actor, philanthropist, and motivational speaker, Travis Flores. He uses his life experience as a cystic fibrosis warrior who’s also received two double lung transplants in his 27 years of life to advocate for inclusivity in the workforce, and diverse casting in Hollywood. In this episode, Travis and Dominique go through the hot headlines like Aerie clothing brand’s decision to hire disabled models in its new campaign, discuss the power of being selective and saying “No” with different job offers, knowing that to break the stigmas in acting, you’ve got to know that people with illnesses/disabilities have the strongest will and work ethic and should represent themselves on screen, and that a medically adult-ish guidebook to building up that resume has got to include volunteering and internships that are both virtual and creative, so it can adapt to your health. Plus…stay to the end of the episode where Travis exclusively announces new project that will make you feel the feels for a new ‘binge TV’ goal.

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We close out our invisible illness and mental health-themed shows with a real showstopper, and that takes us back to our friends across the pond in the United Kingdom with The Mix, a leading nonprofit that provides support to young adults with all the factors that can challenge life. Plus, not one, but two of their staff join Dominique on the episode, Director of Brand and Innovation, Zoë Bailie and Communication and Events Officer Françoise Facella to focus on all those outside factors that affect young adult mental wellness, from illness/disability, schooling and social lives, to finances, social media and relationships. In this episode, Dominique, Zoë and Françoise crack on about the ways young adults can challenge stigmas by harnessing their voice, come up with the best tips to strengthen mental wellness in all sorts of life environments, examine how laughter is the remedy to struggles—with the proper humor style, of course, build up the all-star toolkit with the best apps and activities to bring de-stressors and mental strength, talk about their advocacy campaign #SummerUnfiltered, and champion the ways young adults can hone in on their personal power by working with causes and passion projects on all scales. It’s an episode unlike anything we’ve done to date, and their power trio ends our first theme with a power bang!

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Five episodes into our six-episode arc of invisible illness and mental health-themed shows, and we’re putting the focus on levels of activism and advocacy in daily life with invisible illnesses. And the guest expert had to be rare disease healthcare activist, and founder of the international nonprofit, Sick Chicks, Shira Strongin. Her work has not only assisted in legislation advocacy, and empowering young adults to get involved in Capital Hill discussions, but with Sick Chicks, Shira has spearheaded a movement of uniting young women with all chronic illnesses to empower themselves and each other. In this episode, Shira and Dominique talk about why we might want ‘swipe left and right’ on online support groups, gives talking points about how to start advocating when you’ve got an invisible illness with friends and doctors to legislation and philanthropic activism, lays out a playlist of the best de-stressor Instagram accounts and TV binge-watch shows when you’re having a ‘sick-sick’ day, and discusses how that be a game-changer with invisible illnesses is knowing that everyone can advocate in their own style, tone, personally and publicly as long as they realize you control your voice and you’re the expert in your illness/disability story. 

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We continue our invisible illness and mental health-themed shows with a central focus on invisible illness for young adult daily life, and no one is better to have on the show than British blogger and creator of Blogging in Bed, Amy Saunders (who is also an InvisiYouth Global Brand Leader)!  Amy’s a recent university graduate from York, England who’s Blogging in Bed developed into an international community of hundreds of young adults living with chronic illnesses that often leave them homebound or bed-bound at points in their life, creating a community of friendship, sharing posts and life tips, and connection to a community that is often invisible with invisible illnesses. In this episode, Amy and Dominique talk about why having celebrities like Selena Gomez and Martine McCutcheon talk about their invisible illnesses affecting their full lives can impact any young adult listening, gives up some major health hacks for school life, talks tips on how to regain control of your health and asking for help when you're out with friends, and how maybe if we were all just be a bit kinder to everyone, we’d instinctually support those to come forward with invisible illness instead of feel stifled with stigmas.

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We continue our invisible illness and mental health-themed shows with the third installment, and shift our focus onto young adult mental health with the incredible Canadian mental health charity, Jack.Org as our special guest expert. Their Jack Talks Coordinator, Jessie Brar, joins founder Dominique on the show as our expert on young adult mental health and all multifaceted aspects of not only mental health struggles for older youth, but the stigmas that play into their daily lives. One of the largest topics InvisiYouth works with for those living with and without physical illnesses or disabilities is how it correlates to mental health, and the mental stressors of being a teen or young adults. And Jack.Org are one of the leading forces that make finding ways to talk about mental wellness, how to improve your mental health, and how to advocate for mental health all fit the young adult mindset. In this episode, Jessie and Dominique go through some major headlines like NBA mental health campaign with stars Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Love and Toronto Raptors DeMar DeRozan, build out a toolkit of what young people need to have to improve daily mental health, and all the conversation starters for young people and their family/friends to have when wanting to talk about mental health, and break down those stigmas.

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We continue our invisible illness and mental health-themed shows with the second installment, and founder, Dominique, brought in special guest, social media influencer and co-founder of The Breasties, Paige More, better known as Paige Previvor. A breast cancer “pre-vivor” or “pre-cancer survivor”, Paige learned she had the BRACA 1 mutated gene and at 24 had a preventative double mastectomy. With Instagram to document her journey, Paige now has over 25,000 followers in less than four years. This activist knows exactly what it can be like to live with an illness that is visible to the entire world, and then invisible while at other parts of the recovery journey. With Dominique, Paige gets to the nitty-gritty on how to become a social media activist, what are the best gifts and ways to offer support to your friends with health struggles, and even plays some Life Tinder on how she feels about illness-promoting t-shirts, illness-themed parties, and those get well soon cards. It’s lots of life hacks, lots of laughs and lots of advocacy tips with two powerhouse young women in the philanthropy world.

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One of the largest groups of chronic illness and disability is a community you would never notice. That’s right, invisible illnesses. All over the media this past year, it seems invisible illnesses, both for physical health and mental health, are finally getting the visible recognition they deserve. We’re so lucky our first guest is Canadian motivational speaker, 20-year-old Ashley Rose Murphy. As her Twitter bio explains, “I’m 20, HIV+, public speaker, singer, and family ambassador.” Talk about owning your truth! Living with one of the most universally-known invisible illnesses, Ashley speaks to thousands of youth at WE Day and the United Nations, breaking misconceptions about living with HIV and improving the way people associate HIV/AIDS with the youth population. In this episode, Ashley joins the chat show to talk about how she’s become a rebel game-changer, ways to help others talk about illness and disability, sharing her life playlist of tips and tricks to living with invisible illness, and play a few games that’ll definitely bring some laughs while opening minds.

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