The Illuminate Podcast

Chris Norton was a collegiate football player when he mistimed a tackle and collided with the opponent’s legs and immediately lost all feeling and movement from the neck down. He was given the diagnosis that he would never be able to move again.

After incredible amounts of perseverance and dedication, alongside the support of his family and friends, Chris was able to walk across the graduation stage and down the aisle at his wedding with his wife Emily by his side. Chris’ story is one of perseverance, facing his challenges head on, and using his story and his experiences to make a positive impact on others.

Chris now has the Chris Norton Foundation which is a nonprofit organization that helps to fund the equipment, accommodations, and opportunities for others with spinal cord and neuromuscular disabilities to help them live their best lives. He also puts on the Chris Norton Foundation Wheelchair Camp where they provide a cost-free camp for youth and families with physical challenges to help them overcome their obstacles and discover all of their abilities.

Chris wrote his book, The Seven Longest Yards, with Mark Tabb who was on the podcast on Episode 55.

On top of all of that, Chris and his wife, Emily, are foster and adoptive parents.

It was such a joy to talk with Chris and hear all that he is doing in the world to change the lives of so many.

This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.

What we talked about: 

4:15- Introduction to Chris Norton

12:00- The support that he received after his injury

16:05- Where he is at now in his recovery

18:15- Being a foster and adoptive parent

28:05-Some pivotal moments in his journey to walking again

30:55- What the Chris Norton Foundation and the Chris Norton Foundation Wheelchair Camp are

37:15- A transformational piece of advice that he received from a doctor while in the hospital

42:20- The film, 7 Yards, that he has coming out soon

47:00- End of podcast questions

Show notes:

Get 20% off of your order at getfinleys.com by using the code “ILLUMINATE20”

Fill out the listener survey here

Chris Norton Website

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The post Episode 77: Chris Norton; Defeating the Odds appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Today’s guest is a hilarious, social justice minded mom of four, writer and psychotherapist  — Kristen Howerton. Her journey to motherhood was not easy and she became a mom of four in four years through both adoption and natural birth. You may know her for her book or social media “Rage Against the Minivan.” (BTW, yes, she does drive a minivan now.)  In this episode, Kristen shares about her family and adoption, her activism around racial justice, talking to her kids about race and how she’s managing pandemic life. Kristen’s perspective on life is refreshing, funny and real.

This episode is hosted by Kristin Srour

Show Notes:

Luvvie Ajayi

DeRay Mckesson

Brene Brown

How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

The post Episode 76 – Kristen Howerton: Making Space for Empathy appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Erika Welsh is one of the co-founders of Wild Friends. Wild Friends is a female-founded natural foods company that specializes in nut butters. They are a B-Corp (Certified Benefit Corporation) and through their company have a giveback program called Fuel Her Future where they donate 1% of their sales to programs that help to empower women and girls to chase their dreams. Additionally, they partner with Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest as their non-profit partner.

In this episode, Erika shares the story about how she started Wild Friends in college with her best friend, going on Shark Tank, using Wild Friends as a platform to give back to women and girls, making products that bring joy to people’s day, and so much more!

I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Erika!

This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.

What we talked about:

3:25- Introduction to Erika and how she founded Wild Friends

12:45- How Erika and her co-founder, Keeley, created and grew the business without prior business experience

16:05- The turning point in the business when it started to grow

19:35- Going on Shark Tank and how that transformed the company

25:45- Being in business with her best friend and how they’ve kept a positive relationship throughout

32:45- The strengths that Keeley and Erika each bring to the business

36:35- Their giveback program; Fuel Her Future and the nonprofit that they partner with

41:10- Finding joy in their products bringing other people joy

43:45- End of podcast questions

Show notes:

Get 20% off of your order at getfinleys.com by using the code “ILLUMINATE20”

Fill out the listener survey here

Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest

Fuel Her Future

Book recommendation: The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes

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The post Episode 75: Erika Welsh; Wild Friends appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Kyle and Angie are two former special education teachers that founded the company, Finley’s, in 2016 when they saw an opportunity to make a big impact in the community. Finley’s is a pet treat company that creates paid employment opportunities for people with disabilities. They give 50% of their profits to initiatives that provide employment training, accessibility, health & wellness, and advocacy platforms for people with disabilities.

Kyle and Angie are so passionate about making a big impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities and creating awareness throughout the community.

This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.

As a listener of the show, you can get 20% off your Finley’s order by using code “ILLUMINATE20”.

We have a listener survey for The Illuminate Podcast that we would love if you filled it out. We want to hear from you to help better the show in the coming years and we would love if you took a few minutes to fill that out. Fill out the survey HERE.

What we talked about:

2:35- Introduction to Angie and Kyle and what Finley’s is

6:10- The business model of Finley’s and how the ambassadors play a role in the business

8:00- The hiring process of their employees with disabilities (their ambassadors) and the jobs that they do within the company

13:00- Their giving initiatives of giving 50% of their profits back to provide employment training, accessibility, health and wellness and advocacy platforms for people with disabilities

15:35- What they wish that every company knew about hiring individuals with disabilities

20:10- Their goals to be a stepping stone for the ambassadors to grow into roles in other companies and areas of the community

22:50- Challenges that they faced at the beginnings of their company

26:50- When they realized the business was going to take off and be successful

28:35- Learning curves that they have had as they’ve stepped into business and management roles

33:00- Each of their unique strengths that they bring to Finley’s while being in business as a married couple

36:50- Things coming up that they are excited about

38:30- End of podcast questions

Show notes:

Get 20% off of your order at getfinleys.com by using the code “ILLUMINATE20”

Fill out the listener survey here

Finley’s Website

Finley’s on Facebook

Finley’s on Instagram

Joshin

Best Buddies Minnesota

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Angie’s book recommendation: Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Kyle’s book recommendation: So You Wanna Start a Brewery? by Tony Magee

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The post Episode 74: Angie and Kyle Gallus- Creating Inclusion in the Pet Industry appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Tina Beauvais joins the podcast today!

Tina Beauvais is one of the co-founders of Be Kind Live Kind and the Disability Inclusion Educator. She is on a mission to teach parents and children the best ways to include individuals with disabilities and special needs. Tina’s daughter, Noel, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at 5 months old, is the motivation and inspiration behind all of the work that she does.

Be Kind Live Kind is an online shop as well as a boutique in Greeley, Colorado. They sell various types of apparel, accessories, stickers, and jewelry with the intention of spreading the message of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Through their shop, they dedicate the sales of specific designs each month to raise funds for a family that is caring for a child with a disability. At the time of this interview, they were still running the shop out of Tina’s home as solely an online shop but since the business got such a great response from the community, they have opened a brick and mortar location.

Tina’s work as the Disability Inclusion Educator is designed to help parents to raise disability inclusive kids as well as educate the general community on how to connect with individuals with disabilities and special needs. She does advocacy work through her online platforms and speaks to students, parents and educators on the message of inclusion.

This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.

We have a listener survey for The Illuminate Podcast that we would love if you filled it out. We want to hear from you to help better the show in the coming years and we would love if you took a few minutes to fill that out. Fill out the survey HERE.

What we talked about:

5:20- What she does through her Disability Inclusion Educator work

8:45- Her family and having a blended family with her husband, Dustin

12:35- What her children have learned from having a sibling with a disability

16:45- The advice that she would give a family that has received a recent diagnosis that their child has a disability

18:30- How you can help a family that just received the diagnosis that their child has a disability

19:40- Misconceptions that people have about people with disabilities

21:00- Her reaction when she received the diagnosis that her daughter had muscular dystrophy

23:45- How they had a community of people running for Noel through their initiative “Steps for Noel”

28:10- The joys that Noel brings to her life

34:25- Noel’s involvement in the Be Kind Live Kind Shop and their monthly program to help other families that are caring for an individual with a disability

39:30- What Be Kind Live Kind is and the mission behind it

42:05- The vision that Tina has to hire individuals with disabilities for her company

46:55- The community response when the business was launched and how they have grown since

50:25- The message that she hopes to get across with her Disability Inclusion Educator work

53:50- Her 5-10 year plan and goals for her work as the Disability Inclusion Educator

1:03:20- End of podcast questions

Show notes:

Choose2Include Disability Education Podcast

Be Kind Live Kind Website

Tina Beauvais on Instagram

Tina Beauvais on Facebook

Tina Beauvais on YouTube

Get 20% off of your order at getfinleys.com by using the code “ILLUMINATE20”

Fill out the listener survey here

Book recommendation: The Ideal Team Player

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The post Episode 73: Tina Beauvais- Be Kind, Live Kind appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Amy Carver is the Program and Development Manager and RJ Heckelman is the National ReCyclery and Resource Manager at Trips for Kids.

Trips for Kids is a national nonprofit organization with chapters in various parts of the country that provides transformative cycling experiences to promote healthy, recreational lifestyles, environmental awareness, and personal empowerment for young people of all communities, especially those in need. They are working to create a world where every kid has the opportunity to ride a bike.

In this episode, RJ and Amy talk about what Trips for Kids is, the work that they do for the organization, the transformational power that the bike can have on kids, some of the programs that they offer, and so much more!

This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.

We have a listener survey for The Illuminate Podcast that we would love if you filled it out. We want to hear from you to help better the show in the coming years and we would love if you took a few minutes to fill that out. Fill out the survey HERE.

What we talked about:

3:30- Introduction to RJ and Amy and their roles in the organization

6:50- What Trips For Kids is

14:00- Programs that Trips For Kids offers and how the chapters work

21:15- How they had to shift in 2020 and create new programs

27:55- How they provide bikes for each of their chapters

32:45- How they run the national organization so smoothly while being the only two employees

39:15- The holiday match that they received

42:25- End of podcast questions

Show notes:

Fill out the listener survey here

Trips for Kids Website

Trips for Kids on Instagram

Trips for Kids on Facebook

Trips for Kids Pedal Podcast

Documentary Recommendation: The Social Dilemma

Book Recommendation: The Secret Life of Houdini

Free Bikes 4 Kidz

People For Bikes

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The post Episode 72: Amy Carver and RJ Heckelman- Trips For Kids appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Farah Nanji is a DJ, journalist, TEDx Speaker, podcast host, and the founder of Regents Racing. As a teenager, Farah was diagnosed with Dyspraxia which is a developmental coordination disorder that affects 5% of the world’s population. Farah shares in this episode how she has never settled and allowed Dyspraxia to be a weakness of hers as she has created her own processes to become an entrepreneur in two industries, music and motorsport, that rely heavily on motor coordination.

Farah’s business, Regents Racing, is a business that explores leadership lessons from Formula One racing. Farah also recently launched her podcast, Mission Makers, where she interviews people involved in music, motorsport, business, and other industries.

This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.

What we talked about:

3:40- Introduction to Farah Nanji

5:00- What Dyspraxia is

6:30- The process of becoming diagnosed with Dyspraxia

12:10- Different ways that she thinks that the education system could change to help students in situations like hers

16:50- Her experience in Formula One Racing

23:15- What Regents Racing is

28:50- The popularity of Formula One Racing in the UK

31:55- Female involvement in Formula One Racing and motorsport

37:05- Farah’s DJ career and the impact that it has had on her life

44:20- How you find clients and gigs as a DJ

48:05- Farah’s Ted Talk- “Rewiring Dyspraxia from the Brain”

59:50- Her one message to individuals that have dyspraxia

1:00:45- End of podcast questions

Show notes:

Farah Nanji’s Website

The Mission Makers Podcast

Mission Makers on Instagram

Farah on Instagram

Farah on Facebook

Farah’s Ted Talk- “Rewiring Dyspraxia from the Brain”

Book Recommendation: Business Lessons from Motor Racing by Mary Jenkins, Ken Pasternak, and Richard West

Get 20% off of your order at getfinleys.com by using the code “ILLUMINATE20”

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The post Episode 71: Farah Nanji- Finding Your Own Way appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Tracy Quisenberry is the founder and executive director of Icing Smiles. Icing Smiles is “a nonprofit organization that provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by the critical illness of a child.” They have cake artists across the country so they can serve children and families no matter where they are.

Outside of Icing Smiles, Tracy is the mother of two and works as a Senior International Tax Manager.

In this episode, Tracy talks about how she started Icing Smiles, her own experience with her son having health issues in his early childhood, balance a full-time career with being the founder and executive director of a nonprofit, the incredible support that she has from volunteers and corporate sponsors, and so much more!

This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.

We have a listener survey for The Illuminate Podcast that we would love if you filled it out. We want to hear from you to help better the show in the coming years and we would love if you took a few minutes to fill that out. Fill out the survey HERE.

What we talked about:

3:05- Introduction to Tracy Quisenberry

3:45- What Tracy’s work in International Tax Management entails

5:50- Her experiencing with having two babies face health issues

10:30- How she started cake decorating due to her kid’s health issues to bring joy to their family during that time

13:45- How Icing Smiles was created

18:40- The reason that she incorporated her nonprofit

20:20- How the organization works with providing cakes across the country

23:30- The types of people and families that Icing Smiles serves

26:30- The impact that these custom cakes have on children and their families

32:40- How she balances working full-time in International Tax Management with being the founder/executive director of Icing Smiles

34:40- Her team of administrative volunteers

37:30- Her volunteer base of “sugar angels” that bake the cakes

48:30- Some of the cake artists that she dreams of working with

53:25- The motivational speaking that Tracy does

56:15- End of podcast questions

Show Notes:

Fill out the listener survey here

Icing Smiles on Facebook

Icing Smiles on Instagram

Icing Smiles on Twitter

Icing Smiles Website

Book Recommendations:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

One Way Love by Tullian Tchividjian

Get 20% off of your order at getfinleys.com by using the code “ILLUMINATE20”

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The post Episode 70: Tracy Quisenberry- Icing Smiles appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Molly Reeser is the founder and executive director of Camp Casey. Camp Casey is a nonprofit organization that provides cost-free horseback riding programs to children with cancer and life-threatening illnesses in Michigan. They offer four unique programs that they offer including horse house calls, cowboy campouts, outlaw outings, and their newest program Lone Star Getaways

Molly started Camp Casey as a one-day event to honor the life of a young girl named Casey who had cancer that Molly met at a horse barn in 2004. 16 years later, Molly continues to run the programs and impact the lives of so many children and their families. They reach 1600 participants a year.

In this episode, Molly shares the story about meeting Casey and the impact that she had on her life, how she started Camp Casey, the programs that they offer and why they started the Lone Star Getaways this year, the story of how Horsey House Calls started, goals and dreams that she has for the organization, and so much more!

This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.

We have a listener survey for The Illuminate Podcast that we would love if you filled it out. We want to hear from you to help better the show in the coming years and we would love if you took a few minutes to fill that out. Fill out the survey HERE.

What we talked about:

3:15- Introduction to Molly Reeser and what Camp Casey is

7:25- Who Casey is and how she inspired Molly to start Camp Casey

27:20- Where they put on events and leasing horses and renting barns for the day for events

30:00- How the Horse House Calls Program got started

45:00- The other programs that they have

56:15- How she sets up her and her staff’s schedules to allow for a good work-life balance

59:10- An organization that she partners with and volunteers for; The Buffalo Soldiers

1:01:20- Goals for the organization

1:05:30- Molly’s continue relationship with Casey’s family

1:12:50- End of podcast questions

Show notes:

Fill out the listener survey here

Camp Casey Website

Camp Casey on Instagram

Camp Casey on Facebook

Get 20% off of your order at getfinleys.com by using the code “ILLUMINATE20”

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The post Episode 69: Molly Reeser- Camp Casey appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.

Today’s guest is a woman who holds many titles — social entrepreneur, global health strategist, advocate for women and girls and former Miss District of Columbia. Sarah Hillware is a force who has overcome fear to take risks, escaped domestic violence as a child and is breaking down gender inequality. In today’s episode we talk about equity, equality, intersectionality, how she started Girls Health Ed and what she is doing now in her role as Deputy Director of Women in Global Health. Sarah’s background, tenacity, passion and willingness to take risks are all part of her story and have driven her to lead important global change.

The post Episode 68: Sarah Hillware – Harnessing Power to Achieve Gender Equity appeared first on SandyBoy Productions.