The Stuttering Springboard

What's it like to go from pretending to be shy and a covert stutterer to putting yourself out there on social media?  In this podcast Travis Althouse a licensed SLP who stutters shares this amazing transition and his goal of posting a video on social media every day for a year, where he openly stutters.  And....  he's been doing it now for two years! For you listeners who hide your voice, take a listen to how Travis shares his message to educate the community about stuttering and encourage people to focus on what people say rather than how they say it.

More about Travis:

Travis Althouse is a licensed speech-language pathologist, stuttering specialist, accessibility consultant, and children’s book author. He creates social media content about stuttering awareness and education @Travis.Stuttering. Travis shares all about what stuttering is, what it’s like to live with a stutter, and tips for how to best interact with stutterers in everyday life.
He encourages others to focus on what people say rather than how they say it.

The Stuttering Springboard is going back to Ireland in 2027!  We will once again take a small group of young adults who stutter to Ireland, where they will immerse themselves in the country’s rich culture, sports, and history, while engaging in transformative leadership workshops and team-building activities. The program’s mission extended beyond cultural exchange—its goal was to identify and equip future leaders who happen to stutter with the tools, confidence, and vision to make a difference in their communities.

In this podcast, Joe Donaher and Brian Nolan, Co-Founders of the Stuttering Springboard, share lessons and experiences from the 2025 program and preview 2027.  Next year's program will focus on applied leadership, with an emphasis on taking the Springboard to the next level! Enjoy the podcast!

This podcast with David Potts is rich with takeaways.  David, a Phd. chemical engineer who stutters, brings a refreshing and much needed perspective to stuttering. David shares with us his journey from college to graduate school and earning his doctorate, all while facing the daily challenges of being a person who stutters.  Brian and David dive into preparing and giving presentations, focusing on what you want to say instead of how you say it and being on your own team!  Taking the power away from your stutter means not putting life decisions through a stuttering lens.  This is a powerful podcast for people who stutter and an education for those who don't!  Enjoy the listen!

David Potts is a research scientist at the Dow Chemical Company. He is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a lifelong stutterer. He received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2018 and his PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024, both in chemical engineering. His work focuses on developing catalysts to speed up and make chemical reactions more environmentally friendly. David moved to Michigan in 2024 and is a member of the National Stuttering Association East Lansing Chapter. He is passionate about mentorship, outreach, and making scientific fields more accessible to others who stutter.

Aidan, who often goes by "Crunch", is a highly successful young musician from Phoenixville PA who stutters. He found amazing professional success at the age of 15 and has followed his dream as a music producer for some of today's top artists. In this highly introspective podcast, Aidan shares his journey and the intersection of his stutter and his high profile career. Brian and Aidan explore the dichotomy of being frustrated by your stutter while also embracing it and....  not trading it in if asked by a Genie. 

More about Aidan Cullen:

He is an LA-based producer, songwriter, and programmer from Philadelphia who currently attends UCLA. He most recently co-produced “VUELVE CANDY B” off Bad Bunny’s newest release, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana”, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.

His first major-label release was with Tory Lanez and Kevin Gates on the Fast and Furious 9 movie soundtrack. Crunch then continued his collaboration with Tory Lanez, releasing three additional songs/productions with him.

Meet Megan Lynch, a young speech and language pathology graduate student. In this deeply person podcast, Megan tells her story of growing up as a person who stutters and her decision to become an SLP.  

She shares how she uses mindfulness techniques in the moments when she awaiting her turn to speak. Megan also shares the speech trauma she experienced as a middle school student and even a few years ago.

What’s really cool are the affirmations and self talk she practices to help her become her authentic self. This podcast gave me so much hope for stuttering therapy!

Enjoy the episode!

Megan Lynch is an SLP graduate student at Gwynedd Mercy University and an SLPA with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit. A native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech, Language, and Hearing Science from Temple University in 2020. As a person who stutters, Megan is interested in creating more open conversations around stuttering as she continues her path in the field

Meet Vince Vawter, renowned author, former newspaper editor and a person who stutters. In this podcast Vince shares his wisdom from his lifelong journey as a person who stutters, much of which he captures in his four books, starting with Paperboy, the story of an 11 year old paperboy and his challenges as a boy who stutters.  This podcast dives deep into his  most recent book: The Stuttering Stoic, where Vince shares the philosophy that has shaped his and Brian's adult lives for the better. Brian and Vince dive deep into Marcus Aurelius and Seneca and how the messages from ancient philosophers can help us today.  Vince's favorite Marcus quote, "Be indifferent to the things that make no difference" speaks to why we shouldn't worry about the things we can't control. Seneca's quote: "we suffer more in our imagination about the future than the event itself" likely resonates with all people who stutter.  This podcast is about overcoming, not curing, your stutter by finding your voice.

Vince Vawter, a native of Memphis and a person who stutters, retired after a 40-year career in newspapers, most recently as the president and publisher of the Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press.
He attended Louisiana State University, Rhodes College of Memphis, the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Books:
• Paperboy
• Copyboy
• Manboy
• The Stuttering Stoic

Meet Luke McCann, a Vice President at Valuation Research Corporation and a person who stutters. Luke performs a wide range of financial advisory work in the business valuation sector.

In this educational, high energy and yes, at times emotional (that's Brian!) podcast, Luke shapes how:

• He moved from just focusing on tools to focusing on tools and acceptance. 
• His powerful experience working with his speech pathologist
• How voluntary stuttering helped him with desensitization 
• How disclosure makes him feel more authentic.
• And most importantly...  how his stutter makes him unforgettable!

Luke Graduated from Baylor University, holds both a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation and an Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) credential. He is passionate about staying active and engaged in my community.

This podcast covers so much ground from being a covert stutterer in high school and starting therapy for the first time, to becoming an SLP who stutters and leading  Friends, The National Association of Young People Who Stutter. This podcast is for people who stutter, parents of kids who stutter and all friends of people who stutter.  It takes a deep look at the mind of a person who stutters and what truly works!

Caryn Herring, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a person who stutters, a speech-language pathologist, and the Executive Director of the non-profit support organization Friends: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter. Caryn also, privately, treats children and adults who stutter. She graduated with her PhD from Michigan State University, her MS from Purdue University, and her BA from the University of Pittsburgh.

Joe Donaher, Ph.D is the Program Director for Research and Academics at the Center for Childhood Communication at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.  Joe is also a co-founder of The Stuttering Springboard!

Meet Tim Fox, a highly successful insurance professional who stutters. Tim shares his journey as a person who stutters, from "round robin reading" to a highly important business presentation.  Tim has learned to manage his stutter well, but he also shares that at times, "it's everything".  Tim and Brian explore life as a "covert" stutterer"...  hiding it at all costs.  They talk about the importance of disclosure and being grateful to having found a community of wonderful people who stutter.  Don't go it alone.

In this episode, the fathers of two young men who stutter, Bob Rafferty and Dan Quinn, discuss their sons' experiences and resilience in managing their speech challenges. Brian Nolan, also a father of two sons who stutter, shares his own journey as a parent and a lifelong stutterer, and why he became an advocate later in life. What's extra special here is that Bob and Dan are the fathers of Kevin Rafferty and Conor Quinn, two Board members of the Stuttering Springboard who are changing the perception of stuttering and what it feels like to be a person who stutters.

The message from the dads: "let them".  Let them be them. Don't try and fix your children.  Help them build confidence by focusing on what they do well.