Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people
Carolyn Kiel
First impressions can take only 6 seconds to make! But if you’re neurodivergent, those quick judgments about you can be misleading.
That’s where the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast comes in! Join me, Carolyn Kiel, as I talk with neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creators, advocates & more about their lives and identities. Their stories shatter misconceptions, break stigma and showcase the vibrance of neurodiversity.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) with Jessica Birch
Jessica Birch is a national advocate and speaker living on the South East Coast of Australia. Since her late diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) at the age of 33, she has turned her attention to awareness building and education to create a better understanding of the prevalence and consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure in Australia. Jessica shares her lived expertise in an effort to equip individuals, parents/carers, educators and health professionals with the information the
Chinese New Year, filmmaking and autism acceptance with Beatrice Leong
Content warning: Death of a pet, mentions of institutionalization and electroconvulsive treatment Beatrice Leong is a Malaysian entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker. After a lifetime of mental health challenges and misdiagnoses, she was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 35, bringing clarity to her lifelong struggles. Beatrice founded AIDA (Autism Inclusiveness Direct Action Group), an autistic-led advocacy group based in Asia that promotes inclusion and self-representation of the autistic co
American Idol, autism and anti-bullying advocacy with Adin Boyer
Diagnosed with autism at age 2, Adin Boyer grew up struggling with being bullied, making friends and accepting himself. He finally began to flourish while attending a performing arts middle and high school, when he faced less bullying and leaned into his musical talent and training in classical piano, choir, opera and music theory. Adin gained widespread international notoriety as a contestant on season 21 of American Idol, where he advanced to the top 55. Now Adin performs locally and on tour,
2024 year-end episode
In this year-end solo episode, I celebrate some big milestones that Beyond 6 Seconds achieved in 2024. I also share my views on how major politicized social issues impact the disability community, some actions we can take to advocate for our rights (whether you're disabled or not), and how we can support ourselves and our communities as we head into 2025. Watch the video of this interview on YouTube. Read the episode transcript, which also contains links to some of the other podcasts and resour
Inclusive education and Down syndrome advocacy – with Sheri Brynard
Content warning: This episode discusses forced sterilization / removal of reproductive rights. Shéri Brynard is the only person with Down syndrome in South Africa with a tertiary education diploma in Educare. She achieved this without any special assistance or amendments made to the coursework, and despite the fact that her lectures and study material were only provided in English, which is her second language. She is currently a full-time qualified teacher’s assistant at a Primary School for le
Fighting stigma about schizophrenia - with Michelle Hammer
Content warning: This episode discusses suicidality, paranoia, hallucinations and delusions, and mentions drug use and homelessness. Michelle Hammer is a schizophrenia activist who spends her time passionately fighting stigma. She is a New York City native who is featured in the WebMD documentary “Voices,” which was nominated for a Tribeca X Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Michelle was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 22 after a misdiagnosis of bipolar at age 18. At 27, Michelle decided to u
Inclusive education with LeDerick Horne, dyslexic poet and advocate
CW: Mentions of suicidality. In the third grade, LeDerick Horne was labeled as “neurologically impaired” – a label that followed him through his schooling until he was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia. Today, LeDerick is a dynamic spoken-word poet, a respected author, and a passionate advocate for people with disabilities. He has performed at prestigious venues such as the White House and the United Nations. His workshops, speeches and poetry open doors to discussions on inclusive education, e
Work experience in an autism employment program -- with Jack Pabich
Jack Pabich is a Quality Assurance Support Analyst who found his current job through an autism employment program run by CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. He is responsible for processing requests of potential conflicts of interest, ensuring parties are correctly assigned to the location within the database, and rearranging information to improve database efficiency. Jack’s attention to detail is his biggest strength and he uses it to proactively streamline tasks. In his free time, he enjoys being act
Epilepsy advocacy
Amee is a dedicated health care provider known for her expertise and compassionate care. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a passionate mental health advocate and openly shares her personal journey living with epilepsy on her Instagram @behindthebindis. She is a powerful voice for those who feel they cannot speak up for themselves, working to raise awareness and foster understanding about mental health and invisible illnesses in the South Asian community and beyond. During this epis
Autistic-led autism research - with Dr. Kana Grace
Dr. Kana Grace is a research psychologist, advocate, Specialist Mentor, and educator, specializing in the mental and physical health of neurodivergent people. Currently, Kana is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE) at the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL), where she completed her PhD. Kana has lived experiences with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette syndrome, dyspraxia, hypermobility Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), Postural Ort
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
CW: Mentions of suicide and experiences with the criminal justice system as it relates to FASD. Patti Kasper is a Neurobehavioral Coach and Trainer who provides staff development training and coaching services to support people affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). With over thirty years of experience in the fields of addiction, mental health, and child welfare, Patti draws on her personal experience with FASD, her degrees in social work and psychology, and her training as a Certi
Celebrating Neurodiversity, Beauty, and Belonging - Art Heals All Wounds podcast
In this episode, I'm sharing an interview from the podcast Art Heals All Wounds, where host Pam Uzzell talks with her daughter Allegra about Celebrating Neurodiversity, Beauty, and Belonging. I also added a short intro to this episode where I share some thoughts on belonging and how I've been looking for and finding community. Check out the Art Heals All Wounds podcast for other stories about how art is a catalyst for healing and change. Read the episode transcript. Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds
Working in the creative industry with Tourette’s – with Ian Otto
Ian Otto is a Senior Producer with experience in animation, motion design, immersive, visual effects (VFX) and post production. After working in Berlin for many years, Ian now lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he is Senior Producer with WOODBLOCK, an animation studio for Design, Film and Immersive content. Recently, Ian began writing and speaking publicly about his experience as a person with Tourette syndrome who works in the creative industry. During this episode, you will hear Ian talk abou
South Asian Mental Health Stories – with Mrinal Gokhale
Mrinal Gokhale is an author, speaker and creative consultant based in Wisconsin. She has collaborated with organizations and media outlets such as Brown Girl Magazine, ADDitude Magazine, Medical College of Wisconsin, and more. Her most recent book is titled “Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories.” During this episode, Mrinal talks about: What inspired her to write about mental health in South Asian communities How she found people to interview for her book Common mental health themes that sh
Dissociative Identity Disorder – with Crystals Multifaceted
CW: Mentions of suicidality Crystals Multifaceted is the founder of Multifaceted Journeys, where they use their lived experience of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) / plurality and healing with complex trauma and dissociation, to bring education to providers and facilitate groups for plurals. Crystals has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. They serve as a moderator on The Refractory, a think tank for clinicians, researchers, peer support workers and coaches with lived experience of
Autistic and Black – with Kala Allen Omeiza
Kala Allen Omeiza is a prolific author at the intersection of race, culture, and autism. Her latest book, "Autistic and Black: Our Experiences of Growth, Progress, and Empowerment," has received widespread acclaim for its in-depth exploration of the unique challenges and triumphs faced by autistic individuals of minority backgrounds. She has also worked on various research projects on neurodiversity and mental health at Harvard, Duke, Harvard Medical, and as a US Fulbright scholar in Nigeria. Sh
Living with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities – with Aashna Parikh
Aashna Parikh is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultant and inclusive marketing specialist based in India. Living with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities, she has consulted and collaborated with Forbes-listed and Fortune 500 companies across diverse sectors such as Fintech, Sustainability, Agriculture, and Technology. A strong advocate for neurodiversity, disability, and gender, she examines these issues through an intersectional lens. During this episode, you will hear Aash
Working in tech as a Black autistic woman – with Martina Kuzenski
Martina Kuzenski is a late-diagnosed autistic woman who received her autism diagnosis at age 28 near the end of her Master’s degree program. She is an IT Specialist for the U.S. federal government. She shares her experiences as a Black autistic woman in tech as a mentor for the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program and as a co-author of the best-selling book “Ladies in Tech: Sharing Expertise for a Successful Career”. During this episode, Martina talks about: Discov
Hiring people with Down syndrome - with Joshua Hoskins
Joshua Hoskins is a 25 year old man with Down syndrome who lives in Tamworth, England with his parents. He loves his family and friends, and his hobbies are horse riding, boxing, musicals, supporting Newcastle United Football team, going out on trips and going on holiday. Josh has two jobs: he loves them both and has great buddies at each place. Josh’s Mum Debbie helps him create posts on LinkedIn every week, because Josh wants to help other people with Down syndrome to get a job if they want to
Finding acceptance as an autistic biracial gay woman – with Grace Liu
Grace Liu is an autistic author, blogger, speaker and pet portrait artist based in the Midlands of England. Grace's book, “Approaching Autistic Adulthood: The Road Less Travelled,” was published in October 2021. She blogs about autism, neurodiversity, diversity and inclusion, as well as her life as a biracial (British/Taiwanese) autistic gay woman, and has delivered multiple talks about autism and diversity. Grace has received many commissions for her pet portrait drawings, especially over the p
Autistic burnout and career change – with Shayonee Dasgupta
Content note: This episode mentions thoughts about suicide and self harm. Shayonee Dasgupta is a Mumbai-based freelance writer and editor who initially pursued a career in law, working with corporate law firms in India. She found out she's autistic and has ADHD in her 30s, prompting a transformative journey of self-discovery and learning to navigate life anew. During this episode, you will hear Shayonee talk about: What it was like growing up before her diagnosis How the challenges she faced
Art, neurodivergence and self-discovery – with Nick Heaney
Nick Heaney is a resident artist and co-founder of Artnova Gallery in Chatham, Massachusetts. Nick has always found art to be his most authentic way of connecting with the world around him. He was diagnosed with dyslexia during elementary school. He struggled with written language, but found a connection through art. Nick went on to study graphic design and fine art, earning a BFA in graphic design from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. At the age of 26, Nick came out as gay to his fri
Down syndrome, leadership & advocacy – with David Egan
David Egan is a leader and advocate who promotes the causes of people with disabilities. He is the first person with Down Syndrome to serve as a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy fellow on Capitol Hill and with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). As a Special Olympics athlete and International Global Messenger, David has traveled extensively and speaks to diverse audiences, including the U.S. Senate, United Nations, and various universities, nonprofit and for-profit companies. David ha
Neurodiversity affirming community – with Katie York
Katie York (aka The Distracted Autistic) is a late-diagnosed Autistic who also has ADHD. They are currently program coordinator at the Community College of Baltimore County in Baltimore, Maryland. Katie is also an advocate and community organizer. In 2022, they founded Harford County Neurodivergents to build a network for neurodivergent adults & provide neurodiversity-affirming resources and education. Katie is a member of Harford County Public Schools Special Education Citizens Advisory Committ
Supporting the Hispanic Tourette's community - with Claudia Scott
Born and raised in Costa Rica, Claudia Scott was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in her early teens. Now she lives in the U.S., where she is the Capital Access Manager for Kiva Northwest Arkansas (NWA) at Startup Junkie and an advocate for Tourette's education and support. Claudia uses her experiences to support people with Tourette's, especially in Spanish-speaking communities. During this episode, Claudia talks about: How she discovered she had Tourette’s when she was growing up in Costa Ric
How to support employees with invisible disabilities - with Jenn Grindeland
Jenn Grindeland has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. She is also a multiple brain injury survivor. With this background, she teaches leadership skills designed to support equity and inclusion for employees with non-apparent, invisible disabilities. During this episode, Jenn talks about: How her life changed when she had her first traumatic brain injury (TBI) Why inadequate job accommodations during her TBI recovery hurt her relationships at w
Ending epilepsy stigma through filmmaking – with Under the Lights director Miles Levin
Miles Levin is a filmmaker and public speaker living with epilepsy. His short film “Under the Lights” starring Pearce Joza and Alyssa Jirrels has become a beacon for epilepsy representation in movies. The film has inspired people to create daily fan art, learn more about epilepsy and open up about their disabilities. He is now making the full length film of Under the Lights, in an effort to create the single biggest epilepsy awareness campaign in history. During this episode, you will hear Mile
Swarit Gopalan – Nonspeaking autistic writer and poet
Swarit Gopalan is a 12-year old autistic nonspeaker who uses a letterboard to spell and a keyboard to type to communicate. He lives with his family in Florida and goes to Invictus Academy for school. Swarit is a talented writer and poet who shares his writing on Facebook and Instagram. He is also a passionate advocate for other nonspeaking people. During this episode, Swarit talks about: Learning to communicate using a letterboard and keyboard What inspired him to start writing about his life
Celebrating 200 episodes and looking ahead to 2024
In this year-end episode for 2023, host Carolyn Kiel reflects on the big milestones that Beyond 6 Seconds achieved in 2023 and some of her goals for the show in 2024. Below are links to the resources mentioned in this episode. How you can support Beyond 6 Seconds! Follow and share the podcast Visit my website at beyond6seconds.net Play episodes in your favorite podcast app Watch episodes on YouTube Social media: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Subscribe to my email newsletter to get new episo
Neurodivergent stories from India - with Aditi Gangrade
Aditi Gangrade is a film director and writer based in India. She is autistic and has ADHD and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). She is the co-founder of Much Much Spectrum, an inclusive storytelling content and insights wing of Much Much Media, a Mumbai-based boutique studio that has worked with brands like Netflix, Instagram, Google and Coca-Cola Foundation. Through Much Much Spectrum, Aditi is working to mainstream stories and representation of mental health, neurodiversity, and disabili
Neurodivergent personal trainer & weightlifting champion Bayley Garnham
Bayley Garnham is a personal trainer from Auckland, New Zealand. As a teenager, Bayley spent 7 years competing in Olympic Weightlifting at a national level. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation, with a major in Sport and Exercise Science. Bayley was diagnosed with dyspraxia and dysgraphia at the age of 12, and he’s passionate about promoting the benefits that physical activity brings for neurodivergent people. During this episode, you will hear Bayley talk about: Discovering that
Neurodivergence and gender identity – with Charlie Ocean
Charlie Ocean is an award-winning LGBTQ+ speaker, trainer, and consultant who is neuroqueer and nonbinary. They have a background in social work and over 15 years of experience with LGBTQ+ community organizing. To date, they've trained thousands of youth and adults on various LGBTQ+ topics in various settings. Charlie is also the host of Allyship is a Verb, a Sonic Bloom Awards and Ambie-nominated podcast. During this episode, Charlie talks about: What led them to start their LGBTQ+ advocacy in
Creating an inclusive world through dance – with Marisa Hamamoto
Content note: This episode contains mentions of sexual assault, describes a stroke and recovery, and has occasional swearing. Marisa Hamamoto is the first professional dancer to be named as one of People Magazine’s "Women Changing the World." Her award-winning nonprofit and professional dance company, Infinite Flow, employs disabled and nondisabled artists with a mission to foster inclusion. Marisa is also a stroke survivor who is autistic and has PTSD. During this episode, you will hear Marisa
Tourette Syndrome advocacy – with Jhonelle Bean
Jhonelle Bean is a 28-year-old disability advocate living with Tourette Syndrome and PTSD. Jhonelle shares her experience with Tourette Syndrome through social media to educate others and help destigmatize the condition, especially within communities of color. She has also created a community called "For The Advocates," where other disability advocates can find a place to relate and get support and resources from each other. During this episode, you will hear Jhonelle talk about: Her first tics
Autistic and dyspraxic actor Ross K. Foad
Ross K. Foad is a professional actor and voice artist in the United Kingdom. A second generation actor, he was just 18 months old when he made his acting debut, but would get his proper start in acting on the London comedy circuit as a stand up comic and sketch comic actor. He is autistic and dyspraxic, and in 2017 was one of only 30 disabled actors chosen by the BBC for their Class Act Training Scheme, an initiative designed to help increase disabled representation on screen. During this epis
Dissociative Identity Disorder - Amber Louise Ainsworth
CW: Mentions of drinking, drug use, suicidal thoughts, depression, trauma, and occasional swearing Amber Louise Ainsworth is a dissociative identity disorder (DID) system from the UK. Since realizing they are a DID system at age 38, they’ve been working through their healing: processing and sharing all their collective trauma. They have written several books, including “The revelation,” which details their first year of healing. During this interview, you’ll hear from three of the alters in my
Trans and autistic inclusion at work – with Nate Shalev
Nate Shalev is a leading expert and advisor on inclusivity helping to create workplace cultures where both businesses and people thrive. They were named a LinkedIn Top Voice and have been highlighted in the Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Nate earned a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University and an MA from New York University. They are the founder of Revel Impact, a consultancy that specializes in social impact and diversity, equity & inclus
Autistic music therapist and singer Swara Swami
As a young autistic girl, Swara Swami could sing before she could speak. Now Swara is a music therapist and singer who advocates for mental health and autism awareness on her social media. Swara has her Bachelors in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music and is currently doing her Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy specializing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lesley University. She has worked with several well-known Indian musical artists as part of the Berklee Indian Ensemble, wher
The Autism-Friendly Cookbook - with Lydia Wilkins
Lydia Wilkins is a freelance journalist and author based in the UK who covers disability and social issues. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Metro, The Independent, Refinery 29, The Daily Mail and PosAbility Magazine. She writes a newsletter on Substack discussing the intersection between feminism and disability culture. Her debut book, “The Autism-Friendly Cookbook,” was published in November 2022. She is also an ambassador for AccessAble, an organization providing access guide
Dyscalculia education and advocacy – with Elena Chambers
Elena Chambers is a disability advocate, writer, poet and photographer. On her blog, Dyscalculia Community, she writes about disability in a social context, societal-level ableism, and her personal experience of growing up with a learning disability. She also posts on social media about issues pertaining to disability justice, inclusion, and awareness. She currently works as a special education paraprofessional in the Ann Arbor Public Schools and will begin a Master’s in Social Work at the Unive
Autism in Black – with Maria Davis-Pierre
Maria Davis-Pierre is a licensed mental health counselor, autism awareness advocate and founder of the organization Autism in Black. As the parent of two autistic children, and being autistic herself, she uses her professional expertise to connect with and empower Black parents of autistic children. Through Autism in Black, she also provides essential training to organizations to help them serve the Black disability community more effectively. She has been featured for her work in Forbes, The Ne
Fragile X and ADHD – with Sarah Brown
Sarah Brown is a New York City based podcast producer and editor. She has worked on shows such as Minority Korner, Get on Up, #Matter and Fixing the Future. She also produces her own show called The Queerience, which is a podcast all about the LGBTQIA+ community. Sarah has a genetic condition called Fragile X syndrome that manifests in her as ADHD. On this episode, Sarah talks about: What Fragile X syndrome is, and what it was like for her growing up with Fragile X and ADHD Her podcasting work
Life as a Black Deaf Autistic musician, AAC user and student -- with Kaishawna
Kaishawna is a 21 year old Deaf Black Autistic woman, clarinet player and college student who is studying to become an educator for neurodivergent and disabled students. She communicates using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) text-to-speech app on her iPad, sign language, and sometimes unreliable vocal speech. She is a disability advocate and aspiring author who is working on two novels that feature disabled main characters. During this episode, Kaishawna discusses: Her exper
Dysgraphia and ADHD representation in children’s books – with Patty DeDurr
Patty DeDurr is a mom, healthcare worker and award-winning author of two children’s books: "This Kid Can Hyperfocus" (a story about ADHD) and "This Llama Can Write" (a story about dysgraphia). She provides educational information and resources about supporting neurodivergent kids on her publisher's website, Sensing Greatness. Patty has ADHD and dysgraphia herself, and she’s determined to help reduce stigma surrounding neurodivergence by increasing representation in literature. During this episod
Beauty in the broken pieces – TBI, epilepsy and ADHD with Kate Wallinga
Content note: This episode describes instances of medical trauma and mental health crises, and mentions violence and death. Kate Wallinga is a forensic psychologist and crisis clinician by training, and currently hosts the podcast “Ignorance Was Bliss,” which has surpassed 1 million downloads. Kate has ADHD, epilepsy, and a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after having a near-death experience in childbirth and a grand mal seizure. During this episode, you will hear Kate talk about: The origin s
Autism, community and the DataFam – with Adam Mico
Adam Mico is the Principal of Data Visualization and Enablement at Moderna. He is a Tableau Visionary, 3x Tableau Ambassador, an Advisory Board Member of the Data Leadership Collaborative, and a member of the Tableau Speaker Bureau. In his spare time, he blogs, produces data visualizations, travels, and networks with the larger data community. He is autistic and supports diversity and inclusion efforts, which includes neurodiversity. During this episode, you will hear Adam talk about: His mu
Supporting mental health in Black autistic & disabled communities – with Janelle Johnson
Janelle Johnson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), is a wife, mother, and Founder of Bridges Family Life Center, a Systemic Therapy and Consulting group practice near Raleigh, North Carolina. An award-winning educator and innovative mental health leader, she is often sought out for her social justice advocacy regarding intersectionality of ableism, sexism, and racism. She currently serves as President of the NC Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. A graduate of NC State Unive
Intersections of Autistic, Asian American and Jewish Identities – with Ben VanHook
Ben VanHook is an autistic master’s degree student studying public policy at George Mason University, with the hopes of reforming employment and education policy to make them more inclusive for neurodivergent individuals. Ben's passion for creating a more inclusive world stems from his own experiences as an autistic Jewish Asian American adoptee and has led to him speaking and presenting to employers, professors, researchers and self-advocates in the United States and abroad. During this episode
Inclusive education – with Jordyn Zimmerman, nonspeaking autistic advocate
Jordyn Zimmerman earned her bachelor's degree in Education Policy from Ohio University and her Masters of Education at Boston College. As a nonspeaking autistic student who was denied access to effective augmentative communication until she was 18, Jordyn has personal experience challenging the educational status quo. Her experience is featured in the 2021 documentary, “This Is Not About Me.” Technology helped open Jordyn's world, and she began advocating for students. She has keynoted and pres
Neurodivergence and Giftedness – with Emily Kircher-Morris
After working as a gifted education teacher, Emily Kircher-Morris became a clinical mental health counselor who supports gifted and twice-exceptional (gifted + neurodivergent) children. She is also the host of The Neurodiversity Podcast and the author of several books, including "Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom" and the revised edition of "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children." She has three neurodivergent children and is neurodivergent herself. During this episode, Emily
A nonspeaking autistic writer’s advocacy – with Ben Breaux
How do you get an education when you cannot speak, and the school system does not understand your abilities or support your needs? This was the experience of Ben Breaux, a 22-year-old nonspeaking autistic man with epilepsy who uses a letterboard and a text-to-speech app on his iPad to communicate. Ben is an aspiring journalist who feels it is very important that non-, minimal- and unreliably speaking autistic people have equal rights, opportunities, and voices in society. He writes and advocate
Tourette’s advocacy on TikTok – with Monica Nguyen
Note: This episode contains occasional swearing (coprolalia). Monica Nguyen is a 20-year-old disability advocate who lives in Sydney, Australia. Monica began sharing her experiences online after facing a lot of discrimination from people who don’t understand her Tourette Syndrome. Her goal is to inspire, educate and empower. During this episode, you will hear Monica talk about: What her life has been like with Tourette’s, as someone living in Australia who is part of a Vietnamese family The dis
Apraxia Story – with Tessa McEvoy
Content warning: This episode mentions emotional abuse. Tessa McEvoy is autistic, has a speech disability called Oral Motor Apraxia, and was recently diagnosed bipolar. She talks about her experiences on her popular Facebook page, Apraxia Story, and advocates for autistic, bipolar, abuse survivors and apraxic individuals online. In 2022 she wrote, illustrated and published her book called “What is it like Living with Depression?” During this episode, you will hear Tessa talk about: What inspire
ADHD and the Black neurodivergent community – with Rickey Z
Rickey Z is a Pre-K Special Education teacher who started her podcast management business in 2020. She is a co-host on Woe Nelly Media's "Geekin' Out" and is in partnership with ADHD + Black, an up-and-coming organization whose mission is to provide support and resources for the Black neurodivergent community. Rickey Z was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 30 while in the process of coming to terms with untreated depression and anxiety. During this episode, you will hear Rickey Z talk about: Ho
Disability representation in media – with Jeremy Andrew Davis
Jeremy Andrew Davis is a screenwriter, film director, and consultant for disability representation in media. He describes himself as multi-disabled with several neurodivergencies as well as chronic illnesses. As a recognized name in disability, he became one of 12 LinkedIn Top Voices of Disability Advocacy of 2022. Jeremy is also a social media influencer with more than 100 million video views across his career, including a TikTok channel that grew to almost 300,000 followers after only six mont
Support for late-diagnosed autistic people of color – with Diane J. Wright, Founder of Autastic
Diane J. Wright is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility media consultant working in film and television. She is also the founder of Autastic.com, which provides resources and community for late-identified autistic people of color and their allies. During this episode, you will hear Diane talk about: How burnout led her to discover that she is autistic and has ADHD Why it is difficult for her to detangle the intersections of her racial, gender and neurodivergent identities What insp
Leaning into your ADHD strengths – with Dr. Lola Day
Dr. Lola Day is a multi-passionate busy mother of 3, a pediatric cardiologist, podcaster and ADHD trained life coach and productivity strategist for women. She is also the CEO and Founder of LollieTasking, a coaching and consulting firm that teaches high achieving, easily distracted professional women how to accomplish their goals without overwhelm or their brain sabotaging their efforts. During this episode, Lola talks about: How she learned she had ADHD while in medical school How she compens
Tourette Syndrome representation in film - with Jack RH O'Sullivan
Jack RH O'Sullivan is an award-winning independent filmmaker and film director based in London. He is autistic, has Tourette Syndrome and OCD. He has directed ten short films including “Tourettes & I”, a coming-of-age drama about his own experiences with Tourette’s. With this film, he intends to raise awareness about Tourette Syndrome, so others don't have to go through the tough childhood of bullying and misinformation he went through. During this episode, you will hear Jack talk about: His la
Down Syndrome advocacy, competitive swimming, modeling and more – with Mary Borman
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and I'm excited to host my first podcast guest who is talking about Down syndrome! Mary Borman is an ambassador for Down syndrome and 2018 Self-Advocate of the Year for the National Down Syndrome Society. We recorded this episode a few weeks ago, while Mary was preparing to compete at the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships in Portugal this month. We talk about several of Mary's accomplishments, which include: Swimming competitively and winning m
An autistic Christian experience – with Miya Sae
Miya Sae is an autistic Christian, blogger, and aspiring author. Through her writing, she strives to help bridge the neglected gap between autism and Christianity, while bringing hope and encouragement to other misunderstood neurodivergent Christians like herself. During this episode, you will hear Miya talk about: What her life was like before her autism diagnosis How her views of her own autism and her relationship with God changed over time The initial conflict she felt between her faith and
Destigmatizing Tourette Syndrome through storytelling – with Kevin Helgren
"You can choose to keep living your life in isolation... Or, you can break yourself out of that isolation and start to own the things that make you, you. One of which is having Tourette's, right?" Kevin Helgren's mom shared these encouraging words with her son after seeing him struggle with his Tourette Syndrome diagnosis in middle school. This conversation helped give Kevin the confidence to talk about his Tourette's and start accepting it as a unique and authentic part of himself. Last year, K
A neurodivergent approach to workplace wellbeing – with Lee Chambers
Lee Chambers is a business psychologist and the founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, which helps organizations design and deliver well-being and inclusion strategies. He is the current Great British Entrepreneur of the Year for Service Industries and can be often found speaking on gender equity and menopause in the workplace. During this episode, you will hear Lee talk about: Getting his autism diagnosis as an adult His experience growing up as an undiagnosed autistic Black boy, includi
Auditory processing disorder – with Hamish Hallett
Hamish Hallett is a podcast host and journalist who creates online content about auditory processing disorder (APD). He wants to help those with learning difficulties not to feel limited and to embrace what they have, rather than feel ashamed of it. During this episode, you will hear Hamish talk about: His childhood and school years with auditory processing disorder (APD) The importance of neurodivergent kids having support in schools How an essay assignment helped him see his university experi
Music, theater and autistic communities – with Madge Woollard
Madge Woollard has run her own business teaching piano and keyboard since 1994. Madge was diagnosed autistic in 2016 at the age of 44. She lives in Sheffield UK with her wife who is also late-diagnosed autistic. A graduate of Cambridge University, she teaches children and adults, privately and in schools, and is keen to specialize in working with neurodivergent students. She is also a member of Spectrum Theatre company, which features neurodivergent and neurotypical performers. During this episo
Becoming a young autistic advocate – with Quincy Hansen
Quincy Hansen is a young autistic activist, writer, public speaker and college student from Colorado. He is the author of the new book “Shake It Up! How to be Young, Autistic, and Make an Impact” and writes a blog at SpeakingOfAutism.com. During this episode, you will hear Quincy talk about: Being known as the “bad kid” in school whose struggles were seen as behavior problems -- until he found the right educational environment where he could thrive How connecting with other autistic people onli
Filmmaking about the dyslexic and ADHD experience – with Mads Johan Ogaard
Mads Johan Øgaard is an award-winning artist, filmmaker and public speaker. He is known for his animated short films about being a neurodivergent child: the multi-award-winning “I AM DYSLEXIC” (based on his own school experiences) and “WITH THE UNIVERSE IN MY SUITCASE” (based on the experiences of people with ADHD who worked on the film with him). During this episode, you will hear Mads talk about: Receiving his dyslexia and dyscalculia diagnoses as a child How drawing helped him focus and lear
Writing autistic and ADHD characters -- with Brianne Leeson
Brianne Leeson is a writer, artist, and voice actor from Dallas, Texas. She is the creator of the queer supernatural comedy audio drama, “Today’s Lucky Winner.” Brianne was diagnosed as autistic and with ADHD at age 30, and she has since become a passionate advocate for autism acceptance and representation in media. During this episode, Brianne talks about: How she got her autism and ADHD diagnosis during the pandemic, when her world was turned upside down How her diagnosis helped her reassess
Neurodiversity and inclusion in tech – with Jennifer Opal
Jennifer Opal is a DevOps Engineer with the HelloSign Team at Dropbox, a multi-award winning neurodiversity & inclusion advocate, blogger & keynote speaker. She also has dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD. Jennifer has worked with clients such as Bloomberg, Google and HackAJob, providing insight on being a neurodivergent queer Black woman engineer in tech, in the hopes of educating & inspiring others. During this episode, you will hear Jennifer talk about: How she got diagnosed with dyslexia, dysprax
My Autism Diagnosis Story
On this special solo episode for Autistic Pride Day, I talk about how I got my autism diagnosis as an adult. Please note that this is not meant to be medical or professional advice of any kind. It’s just my own personal experience! Your experience may vary. Resources I mention during this episode: My 12/20/22 episode where I describe what led me to pursue an assessment. Autism assessment provider directory (crowdsourced map on Autastic.com). Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newslette
The Young Autistic Adult's Independence Handbook – with Haley Moss
Haley Moss is a neurodiversity expert, public speaker and author of four books that guide neurodivergent individuals through professional and personal challenges. We talk about Haley's latest book, "The Young Autistic Adult’s Independence Handbook,” which shares the “unwritten rules” of adulthood and life advice for autistic young adults. Haley also talks about her own experience as an autistic child and adult: How she learned she is autistic at the age of 9, and gave her first public talk abou
Ticcing My Way Through Life – with Britney Wolf
Britney Wolf is a passionate Tourette Syndrome advocate who is trying to beat the stigmas surrounding the disorder. Through social media, speaking events and more, she takes every opportunity to let the Tourette Syndrome community know that they aren’t alone and teach those outside of the community what the disorder is actually like to live with. During this episode, you will hear Britney talk about: Her experience growing up with Tourette's How she became an advocate for Tourette Syndrome duri
Fabulously Tourette – with Peter Zhao
Content warning: Mentions of racism/racist language, suicidal thoughts and auditory hallucinations Peter Zhao grew up in Nanjing China and then in Bayside Queens, New York. Now he lives in Long Island, New York, works in Healthcare, and is a husband and father of two sons. Peter has Tourette Syndrome, ADHD and OCD, and recently got his bipolar diagnosis. He started to advocate for Tourette’s after he fought back against bullies in 7th grade and continues to advocate for Tourette Syndrome awarene
Dyspraxia, journalism and life-changing storytelling – with Nadine Drummond
Nadine Drummond is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker from London with roots in Jamaica. A former producer and reporter at CNN and Al Jazeera, she now develops media and content strategy for 14 African countries in her role at the United Nations. Nadine is also dyspraxic. She struggled growing up pre-diagnosis. When her disability was finally diagnosed in college, she denied and hid her dyspraxia at first, then came to accept it and eventually talk about it publicly in a LinkedIn post tha
Autistics Unmasked and the BIPOC autistic experience – with Ky Kennedy
This podcast was recorded live at the Intersectional Infinity Summit on 3/30/2022. Ky Kennedy is a mother, lactation consultant, author and autism advocate. After seeing a need for an autistic founded and ran organization, Ky and their sister founded Autistics Unmasked (AU). Now Ky and the rest of the team at AU are well on their way to providing educational resources to schools, employers and family members of autistic people across the nation. During this session, we discuss: Ky’s experiences
Nonspeaking autistic self advocacy – with Noah Seback
Noah Seback cannot speak -- however, he has a lot to say. Noah is a nonspeaking autistic young man with apraxia, which has made it impossible for him to communicate reliably for most of his life. Then, at the age of 16, he learned how to use a letterboard to spell out the words he wanted to say -- and his entire world opened up. As Noah described it to me, "it was nirvana!" Since Noah is nonspeaking, he is joined on this episode by his communication regulation partners, David and Nadine Seback (
Autism, photography and the beauty of everyday things – with Joseph Hill
Photographer Joseph Hill is known as the “unofficial mayor” of Southern Pines, North Carolina. He’s currently the exclusive photographer for the Southern Pines Welcome Center, where many of his pictures are available for purchase as postcards. His work has been featured in PineStraw Magazine and on the front page of The Pilot newspaper. Joseph also has autism, and he's on a mission to spread positivity and encourage other entrepreneurs like himself. (Note: I'm using person-first language like "
Autistic and ADHD mother and life coach – Kori Tomelden
Kori Tomelden is a late diagnosed autistic ADHDer, life strategist for autistic and ADHD women & a transformational purpose coach. She lives in Albany, NY where she is raising a neurodivergent family. Her older daughter is non-speaking autistic (and also has ADHD and anxiety) and her youngest daughter is HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) and gifted. Kori brings her own life experiences as an empathic, intuitive autistic woman, mother and entrepreneur to her coaching work and her “Authentically Autis
We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation – with Eric Garcia
Why has public discourse about autism been dominated by non-autistic voices? And, what’s been happening recently to change this? My guest Eric Garcia breaks this down in today’s episode! Eric is a journalist based in Washington DC and the senior Washington correspondent for The Independent. He is also the author of the book, “We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation” which was published in 2021. During this episode, you will hear Eric talk about: Why non-autistic voices have tradition
Autistic is a powerful word
For World Autism Day, I’ve recorded a solo episode where I explain how my thinking has evolved about the word “autistic” – how I was once scared of it, how I overcame my outdated views and biases associated with it, and why now I consider “autistic” to be a powerful word that I’m proud to claim as part of my identity. I share why I prefer identity-first language over person-first language when describing my autistic self, and why we should let individuals choose how they want to describe themse
Coming of age with Crouzon syndrome – with Ariel Henley
As a child, Ariel Henley's face was compared to a Picasso painting. This horrifying comment didn’t come from a schoolyard bully. It was written in a magazine article about Ariel and her experience growing up with Crouzon syndrome, a congenital condition that affects the shape of her face. From that day forward, Ariel was determined to tell her story. She transformed that insult into the title of her new memoir, “A Face for Picasso.” Tune into my latest episode to hear Ariel talk about her book,
Tourette Syndrome in the public eye – with Seamus Evans
At his first job as a TV host, Seamus Evans disclosed his Tourette Syndrome. That revelation almost ended his dream career. Fortunately Seamus didn’t lose his job. In fact, he spent the next 13 years in his dream career, entertaining his fellow Australians as a TV and radio personality. Now he is an ambassador for Tourette Syndrome Association Australia and a keynote speaker who shares his story to inspire and encourage kids and adults with Tourette’s. In this episode, Seamus talks about his exp
Limb difference, disability and workplace diversity – with Ruth Rathblott
For 25 years, Ruth Rathblott hid her limb difference. She doesn't hide it anymore. As she explained in her recent TEDx Talk: when she stopped hiding, she found freedom. Ruth has been a leader in nonprofit organizations for more than 25 years, with 15 years at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City, and more than eight years as CEO of the Harlem Educational Activities Fund. She currently serves as a Board Member of The Lucky Fin Project. She speaks about inclusion and diversity, the gifts of b
Phenomenally Autistic – with Ayanna Davis
Ayanna Davis, also known as phenomenallyautistic on social media, is an autism advocate who was born & raised in Westchester County, New York. Along with being autistic, she has survived over 300 seizures, is living with chronic illnesses and has 3 autoimmune diseases. She is passionate about spreading her messages of self love, joy, equality, diversity, inclusion, and autism awareness & acceptance through the arts. She is also a children’s book illustrator, designer, former choreographer, and l
Thriving at work with ADHD and learning disabilities – with Alex Gilbert
Alex Gilbert is a New Yorker, a Mets fan, a yogi, and a brunch enthusiast. She also has dyslexia and ADHD. After spending her career working in leadership development, she started Cape-Able Consulting, a consulting and coaching business that helps adults with learning disabilities and/or ADHD who are struggling in their careers. Her biggest goal in creating Cape-Able Consulting is to change the stigma surrounding learning. During this episode, you will hear Alex talk about: Her experiences with
My life so far with dyspraxia – with Rosemary Richings
Rosemary Richings is a writer, author, panel member of Dyspraxia Magazine, and co-founder of Dyspraxic Alliance, a global online support network by and for dyspraxics. When she was four years old, she was diagnosed with dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder). In 2014, Rosemary started her own freelance writing business to reduce the stress of finding an accessible work environment. Her debut book, “Stumbling Through Space and Time: My Life So Far with Dyspraxia” is being published in th
Autistic coming-of-age stories – with Kelly Coons
Before Kelly Coons was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of thirteen, she had a coming-of-age story that was mostly deemed as neurotypical. However, she always felt isolated and, until her diagnosis, believed that she was to blame. After her diagnosis, Kelly became passionate about disability advocacy and promoting autistic pride. Today she is an autism advocate and a novelist who studied English at Smith College. During this episode, you will hear Kelly talk about: Growing up
Natalie Brooks – Dyslexia in Adults
Feeling frustrated and alone, Natalie Brooks started posting on Instagram about her struggles as a dyslexic adult in the workplace. She soon realized that her experiences resonated deeply with dyslexic adults around the world -- and it inspired her to expand her social media following into a global online community! Through her company, Dyslexia in Adults, Natalie has built a supportive and collaborative community where dyslexic adults discuss the challenges and strengths of their dyslexia. Duri
Some personal news, and a new focus for this podcast
2021 has been quite a year for me -- and my experiences this year have given me new clarity on what I want to focus on with this podcast. I'm excited to share these new developments with you! Tune into this episode to hear about the new direction I'll be taking with Beyond 6 Seconds starting in 2022, and the personal news that's driving this change. Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to my latest podcast episodes! *Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and
Going beyond first impressions – Corinna Bellizzi of Care More Be Better interviews me at the She Podcasts Live conference
I recorded this episode with my friend Corinna Bellizzi at the She Podcasts Live conference in October 2021. Corinna hosts the Care More. Be Better. podcast and was a guest on my show a few months ago. In this episode, Corinna interviews me about the why behind Beyond 6 Seconds, including the importance of going beyond the initial 6 seconds of our first impressions. We also discuss our podcasting journeys and how we work to peek behind the veil and get to the truth behind the story in our interv
Life with cerebral palsy – education, athletics & disability advocacy with Travis Davis
Travis Davis remembers the first time he realized the impact of sharing his story -- a simple lunchtime conversation that encouraged him to start talking about his life with cerebral palsy. Since that pivotal conversation, Travis has become a TEDx speaker, podcaster and local disability advocate in New Mexico. He has a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in Adapted Physical Education, and is ADA Coordinator certified. In this episode, Travis talks about that lunchtime encounter, as w
Art, Autism, Activism – with Margaux Wosk, Retrophiliac Art
Margaux Wosk is a non-binary, autistic artist residing in Canada, and the owner of Retrophiliac, their own art business. They are bridging the gap between activism, advocacy and art to bring a message of acceptance to the world. During this episode, you will hear Margaux talk about: What led them to create their art business, Retrophiliac, after many years of being a self-taught artist The story behind the Neurodiversity Pride Infinity Rainbow pin – the first pin design they created How their a
Combating hunger and reducing food waste – with Jasmine Crowe, Founder and CEO of Goodr
Jasmine Crowe is an award-winning social entrepreneur, TED Speaker, and leader who is working to make the world a better place one cause at a time. In 2017, after years of feeding people experiencing homelessness from her own kitchen, she launched Goodr, a sustainable waste management company that leverages technology to combat hunger and reduce food waste. She has been featured on CNBC, Oprah Magazine, Inc., Forbes, Fast Company, the NY Times, and was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of th
Reimagining support for cancer survivors – with Kathleen Brown, Founder and CEO of buddhi
TW: Mentions of suicidal ideation, death from cancer Kathleen Brown was diagnosed with a rare cancer at the age of 13. While her cancer battle was enormously challenging, she felt completely unprepared for the mental health and emotional struggles that came with it: dark feelings, isolation, trauma and loss. This difficult experience inspired Kathleen to found buddhi, a digital platform with content, community and curated products for cancer thrivers and their family and friends. With buddhi, sh
Episode 136: Entrepreneurship and Your Authentic Self – with Jacob Ratliff
In this episode I’m talking with Jacob Ratliff, a Client Attraction Coach and entrepreneur, about bringing your authenticity into your business. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Jacob used his identity and lived experiences as the catalyst for creating his business, where he helps entrepreneurs increase brand awareness and visibility, create meaningful engagement, and maintain long-term clients. Jacob struggled with being authentic in his business at first. We’ll learn how he stepped
Episode 135: Minda Harts -- Career Success for Women of Color
Minda Harts is the CEO of The Memo LLC and the award-winning and best-selling author of “The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table.” In 2020, Minda was named the #1 Top Voice for Equity in the Workplace by Linkedin. She’s been featured on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Fast Company, The NY Times, and Time Magazine, to name a few. Minda also speaks on topics like managing diverse teams, courageous leadership, and advancing women of color in the workplace. During this episode,
Episode 134: Doug Stevenson -- Move forward. Step back and recalibrate. Move forward again.
"Move forward. Step back and recalibrate. Move forward again." This is how Doug Stevenson, CEO of Story Theater International, has built a successful life and career as a storyteller, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach. Doug is a masterful storyteller, but his true gift is helping people become engaging storytellers and unforgettable leaders. He is the author of Doug Stevenson’s Story Theater Method, and has delivered storytelling keynotes and workshops for leadership, sales, training, marketin
Episode 133: David Shriner-Cahn -- Building a Business After a Job Loss
After 28 years as a highly skilled employee, David Shriner-Cahn was told that his job was over. In spite of the immediate trauma and fear, he knew that as his next step, he’d rather work for himself and have more control over his destiny. That was in 2006. Today, David is a thriving entrepreneur, podcaster and speaker. He guides high achieving professionals who yearn to impact the world with their knowledge and creativity by becoming successful consultants or coaches, following long careers as e
Episode 132: Care More. Be Better -- with Corinna Bellizzi
Corinna Bellizzi is a natural products industry executive and social benefit entrepreneur. In her professional life as the head of marketing and sales for her clients, she champions social benefit programs to enhance brand development and company impact. In January 2021 she launched her show, “Care More. Be Better: A Social Impact + Sustainability Podcast” to amplify the efforts of inspired individuals and conscious companies. Through Care More. Be Better, she shares their stories in an effort t
Episode 131: Proudly She Served -- with Linda Maloney
Linda Maloney served 20 years in the Navy and was one of the first women in U.S. history in 1993 to join a combat military flying squadron. She was designated a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) and is the recipient of numerous military awards, including the distinguished air medal for combat. She also was the first woman to eject from a Martin Baker ejection seat from her A-6 aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean. She retired from the Navy in 2004 and started her second career as a defense contractor, auth
Episode 130: Making social impact through business -- with Kuda Biza
Kuda Biza is a serial entrepreneur who started his first company when he was 9 years old in Zimbabwe. Over the course of 10 years he has successfully launched 6 businesses. Currently, he is the co-founder & CMO of Nunbelievable, a socially-conscious baked goods company that donates meals for every box of cookies sold. He is also the co-founder of #ThisIsMyEra, a personal development brand, and Signables, a sports collectibles brand. Kuda also founded the Amani Hope Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-prof
Episode 129: Asian Women for Health – with Chien-Chi Huang
Chien-Chi Huang is the founder of the Asian Breast Cancer Project and the Executive Director of Asian Women for Health, a peer-led, community-based network dedicated to advancing Asian women's health and wellbeing through education, advocacy and support. During this episode, you will hear Chien-Chi talk about: How her personal experience with breast cancer inspired her to start the Asian Breast Cancer Project How Asian Women for Health has helped Asian women speak out about their experiences
Episode 128: Waging Peace – with Diana Oestreich
TW/CW: War, violent imagery, PTSD Diana Oestreich is an activist, veteran, nurse, and relentless practitioner of peace. She is the founder of the Waging Peace Project, a movement activating everyday peacemakers to commit acts of courage for the sake of justice, rooted in relentless love. In her first book, “Waging Peace,” she shares her experience serving in Iraq as a combat medic and her choice to wage peace during wartime and after returning home. During this episode, Diana shares: What it wa
Episode 127: A multi-creative career journey -- with Kevin Allen
Kevin Allen is a classically trained pianist, music producer, math teacher, guest speaker, entrepreneur and YouTuber. From spending 12 years working in the corporate world, to becoming a middle school math teacher, to really diving into music and content creation, Kevin has had a diverse and multi-creative career journey. He has been making music for about 15 years and just recently decided to begin sharing his content with the world through his podcast and YouTube channel. During this episode,
Episode 126: The Life Autistic -- with Hunter Hansen
Hunter Hansen is an autistic content creator on YouTube and Instagram and a blogger on thelifeautistic.com. After discovering his autism in his late teens, Hunter tried to outgrow and suppress his autistic traits for years, until coming to terms and embracing his identity as an autistic adult. He has since turned that suppression into passion, advocating for greater understanding and appreciation of autism and autistic people. Hunter works for a major company as a business analyst and lives in t
Episode 125: Changing the world through community service -- with Nichelle Walker
TW/CW: Mentions of domestic violence Nichelle Walker is a passionate community service advocate who encourages people to take responsibility for doing things that matter within their local communities. She sees community service as a way to find local solutions to national and global problems. Nichelle is also a survivor of domestic violence; her experience further cultivated a need inside of her to give back to others. During this episode, you will hear Nichelle talk about: How her passion for
Episode 124: Authentic representation of people with disabilities in the media – with Julia Ward
Julia Ward is an actor and filmmaker whose award-winning documentary, in.clu.sion, is raising awareness about the authentic representation of people with disabilities in the media. Julia is also a senior in high school, and filmed in.clu.sion during lockdown in 2020. During this episode, Julia shares: How her brother Spencer inspired her to film in.clu.sion The challenges and benefits of filming during lockdown -- including how she got interviews with actors Cole Sibus and Mat Fraser and direct
Episode 123: A neurodiverse workplace in the LEGO world -- with David Kokai and Lili Juhász from WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB)
If your employees spent their workdays engrossed in colorful LEGO® bricks, what would you think? If you're David Kokai, you'd probably think that business is good! David founded a company devoted to the LEGO® secondary market when he left the corporate world to start WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB), a LEGO® parts dealer. WLWYB operates their breakthrough platform, MOCHUB, which allows LEGO® builders to share their work and make money with their creations. WLWYB is a neurodiverse workplace that e
Episode 122: I am not a unicorn: a Black man's experiences in America -- with Kevin M. Yates
Kevin M. Yates is a learning & development leader with a career spanning 20+ years, a sought-after expert in the field of learning measurement, a global public speaker and e-book author... and as a Black man living and working in the U.S., he sometimes feels he is mistakenly seen as a "unicorn." On this episode, Kevin talks about what he means by “unicorn” and how it relates to his experiences as a Black man living and working in the United States. He speaks candidly about the impact of race in
Episode 121: Don’t believe everything you think – with Elaine Montilla
Elaine Montilla is an accomplished senior executive who has been an IT leader in higher education for two decades. As an immigrant, Latina, lesbian woman, Elaine has overcome many challenges to build her successful IT career. She is currently Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice President for Information Technology at The City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, a Forbes Technology Council member and contributor, and an AMA Women’s Leadership Center presenter. Elaine is also a
Episode 120: Make your voice heard with LipRevolt – with Courtney Stewart
Courtney Stewart is the Founder and CEO of LipRevolt, a cosmetics brand specializing in lipstick that promotes social activism. Through LipRevolt, Courtney aims to inspire people to fight for what they believe in and to speak up for others. LipRevolt donates 15 percent of its net profits to organizations that support women’s rights, civil rights, and LGBTQ rights. Courtney started her career in public service after receiving her BA in Political Science from Spelman College and MS in Terrorism an
Episode 119: Becoming a leader worth following – with Heneka Watkis-Porter
Heneka Watkis-Porter is an entrepreneur, coach, 5x author and international speaker. As the host of The Entrepreneurial You Podcast, she has interviewed Richard Branson, John Lee Dumas, Seth Godin and many other influencers. Heneka is also the creator of the Caribbean’s first virtual conference and expo: The Entrepreneurial You Virtual SME Conference & Expo. She hosts Leadercast events in Jamaica and writes for the Leadercast blog and Thrive Global. During this episode, Heneka shares her experie
Episode 118: Podcasting, creativity and storytelling in 2020 – with Laura Joyce Davis
On the Beyond 6 Seconds end of year episode for 2020, host Carolyn Kiel talks with fellow podcaster Laura Joyce Davis, the host of the Shelter in Place podcast. We discuss our experiences podcasting in 2020: how it has helped us cope with the challenges and isolation of this year, inspired our creativity, and allowed us to make connections and share powerful stories. Plus, we discover our mutual background in a cappella singing, and how it impacts the way we podcast! Listen to Laura’s podcast, S
Episode 117: Helping children cope in 2020 through books and storytelling – with Jenny Delacruz
Jenny Delacruz is a Haitian-American writer, a licensed counselor and the founder of Cobbs Creek Publishing. She is a wife and mom of 2 boys. Born and raised in New York, she has always been aware of the importance of diversity and how each person has a story that weaves back to generations. Jenny’s passion for teaching her children about world history and current events led her to pursue writing and launch her own educational children’s book series. She has written 2 picture books, "Fridays Wit
Episode 116: Are You Happy In Your Heart? – with Sarah Worlton
"Are you happy in your heart?" My next guest, Sarah Worlton, first began hearing this question while volunteering during a humanitarian expedition in Guatemala. More than a decade later, Sarah has led numerous humanitarian expeditions to villages in Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico and Nepal. She also hosts the "Are You Happy In Your Heart?" podcast, which was inspired by what her volunteer work has taught her about life, purpose and happiness. On this episode, Sarah shares how her humanitarian work and
Episode 115: Brilliant Resilience -- with Lena Cohen-Hawkins
Lena Cohen-Hawkins is an international speaker, powerhouse business consultant, three-time author, and corporate trainer. As a master’s level clinician and executive coach, Lena counsels people on how to access, understand, and regulate emotions, in order to excel in the real world and find fulfillment in their careers and personal lives. She has worked with companies like CBS, Prudential Financial, United Way and The United States Army, and has shared her story on the TED Talks stage. During th
Episode 114: Losing your passion and making new dreams come true -- with Ryan Mason
We often talk about "finding your passion" in life ... but what happens when you find your passion, and then you feel it fade away? Where do you go from there? According to Ryan Mason, you find a different dream and make it come true. Ryan is the Founder and CEO of two successful businesses. The first is Luxe Brand, America's leading luxury shoelace provider, which has been featured on Good Morning America, the NFL Network, in Foot Locker stores, and on more than 30 athletes and celebrities -- a
Episode 113: Micro-acts of mentorship for women -- with Rebekah Bastian
Rebekah Bastian is the CEO & Co-founder of OwnTrail, an online platform that connects, mentors and empowers women as they share their personal and professional journeys and experiences. Previously, Rebekah was Vice President of Product and Vice President of Community and Culture at Zillow. She is the author of the book “Blaze Your Own Trail,” a contributor to Forbes and a frequent speaker on social impact, career navigation and corporate diversity. During this episode, you will hear Rebekah talk
Episode 112: Rolling the 230-pound Cancer Sucks Tire – with DeAndre Wilson
DeAndre Wilson is the creator of the Keep Rolling Campaign, a fundraising platform that commemorates his father’s life and helps nonprofits and families battling cancer who need some extra financial assistance. He is currently working on a documentary to tell his father’s story and his story, and describe his health transformation from rolling a 230-pound tractor tire around the city of Evansville, Indiana. During this episode, DeAndre shares: The story behind the tractor tire, and how it becam
Episode 111: Passion has no expiration date – with Grandmapreneur Connie Inukai
Is it ever too late to find and follow your passion? According to Connie Inukai, passion has no expiration date. At age 72, she calls herself a "Grandmapreneur.” After retiring from her teaching career at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, Connie invented a product called Tip ‘n Split, a handheld device with magnifier, light, tip calculator, and bill splitter. Her book, "How I Got My Product on QVC, The Today Show, The View, and More...in Retirement" has helped inventors ge
Episode 110: Incarceration, re-entry and resilience – with activist and podcaster Bea Spadacini
Bea Spadacini is an activist and writer whose goal is to promote peace and justice by elevating conversations about issues that are often underrepresented in the mainstream media. Originally from Italy, she has lived in the United States for over twenty years and has traveled to Africa and Asia as part of her communications work with humanitarian organizations. Currently she is the Executive Producer and Co-Host of the One in Four Podcast, which focuses on the re-entry process of people who have
Episode 109: Struggling and thriving with dyslexia -- with Angelica Goncalves
Angelica Goncalves is an adult who has lived with dyslexia all her life. She was diagnosed at the age of six. Growing up, people told her she would never succeed or achieve her goals, but with the support of her parents and constant determination, she proved those predictions wrong. Born and raised in Canada, Angelica attended George Brown College and graduated in Architectural Technology. She worked in the retail/service industry for 13 years, was a personal trainer for 4 years, and currently w
Episode 108: Inspiring kids towards STEM careers -- with Tiffani Teachey
Tiffani Teachey is a Senior Mechanical Engineer, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) advocate, professional speaker, and author of the children's book “What Can I Be? STEM Careers from A to Z.” She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management, both from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As an engineer with more than fifteen years of experience, Tiffani has a passion for inspiring the next ge
Episode 107: Denayja Reese -- To Tell a Great Story
Denayja Reese is an event strategist, producer & writer who has worked on campaigns with Uber, the San Francisco Giants, Live Nation and Airbnb, as well as on content production at Coachella. Her full-service event production company, Girl With That Laugh Productions, has worked on events including the A3C Festival & Conference and BlackTech Week. During this episode, Denayja talks about: How she decided to become an entrepreneur Overcoming her challenges with self-esteem, mental health and a
Episode 106: Helping underdogs find winning career opportunities -- with Jonathan Javier
Jonathan Javier is the CEO and Founder of Wonsulting, a career consulting company whose mission is to turn underdogs into winners: helping those who come from non-target schools and non-traditional backgrounds get their dream careers at top companies. By leveraging his experience in Strategy & Operations at Google, Snap, & Cisco, and his successful LinkedIn networking strategies, he has provided advice on LinkedIn and through more than 75 speaking engagements in 4 different countries. On this ep
Episode 105: Moving forward after a stroke with Marcia Moran
Marcia Moran was a successful business strategist who had been building her business over the last 20+ years. She thought she had life by the tail, but little did she know what was in store. After suffering a major stroke in 2014 at the age of 53, Marcia applied her skills in planning and strategy as she strived to become whole. In 2019 she published a book about her experience called "Stroke FORWARD," to bring hope to stroke survivors and their caretakers, and share how becoming her own health
Episode 104: Start Now Start Simple with Dan Ram
Dan Ram is a 3x entrepreneur, prolific speaker, recording artist and startup coach. The son of an Indian diplomat, he draws inspiration from his eclectic background growing up in 10 countries, and he has actively worked on 5 continents. Dan is a founder, investor and coach to more than 100 startups in multiple countries. He has advised the Irish National Government on their Entrepreneurship Policy, consulted for multinationals, hosted some of the largest startup events on the planet, mentored at
Episode 103: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace with Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks and many others— to help employees bring their full
Episode 102: Comedy and creativity in a pandemic -- with John Heffron
Today I get to talk with one of my most favorite comedians ever, John Heffron! John is a stand up comedy veteran and winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing season two. His latest comedy album is called Episodes, and he just published a new spy thriller book called The Holding Deal. He also has a new podcast called Kid With a Cape. On this episode we talk about the impact of COVID-19 on the comedy world (and life in general), what inspires John’s comedy, and tips for writing a great book even if you
Episode 101: Wayne Baker -- All You Have To Do Is Ask
Wayne Baker is the author of the new book “All You Have To Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success.” He is the Robert P. Thome Professor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and Faculty Director of the Center for Positive Organizations. Wayne is also a cofounder and board member of Give and Take, Inc., the developers of the Givitas platform based on the principles in his new book. On this episode, you will hear Wayne talk about:
Episode 100: An entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy by Harris Rosen
Harris Rosen is the President & Chief Operating Officer of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. He is Florida's largest independent hotelier, having built a portfolio of eight hotels in Orlando, with close to 7,000 guestrooms, over the course of 45 years. He is also a philanthropist who has created and funded initiatives to support local Orlando communities, including a program to provide free preschool and college scholarships to the youth of Tangelo Park, and a similar initiative in the downtown Orlando P
Episode 99: Arlan Hamilton – It’s About Damn Time
Arlan Hamilton is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a fund dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Started from scratch in 2015, Backstage has now raised more than $10 million and invested in more than 130 startup companies led by underestimated founders. Arlan’s brand new book "It's About Damn Time" was published on May 5, 2020. On this episode, you will hear Arlan talk about:
Episode 98: Take Control of Your Money and Life -- with Rahkim Sabree
Rahkim Sabree is an author, speaker, and nonprofit co-founder specializing in personal finance and mentoring. He recently released his second book entitled "Financially Irresponsible" and delivered a TEDx talk in December 2019 on Financial Empowerment. On this episode, you will hear Rahkim talk about: His early experiences with learning about finances, and how he started his financial services career at a young age Why he called his book “Financially Irresponsible,” and how it helps people beco
Episode 97: How Email Marketing Elevates Women in Business -- with Toni Coleman Brown
Toni Coleman Brown is an author, small business strategist and online marketing expert, with a focus on email lead generation and sales conversion. She is the founder of the Network for Women in Business, an online educational platform that teaches female entrepreneurs her signature small business success program, as well as the host and creator of two popular live events: The Small Business Bootcamp for Women and the Online Marketing Mastermind Live. On this episode, you will hear Toni talk abo
Episode 96: How para-powerlifter Garrison Redd is disabling limitations
Garrison Redd is a TEDx speaker, para-powerlifter, model, dancer, and most of all, an advocate for disabled rights. He founded an organization called “TheGarrisonReddProject” to provide resources and services that improve the well-being of disabled individuals. On this episode, Garrison shares: Why he left his government job to start his own organization The job searching challenges faced by many people with disabilities How he realized his impact as a positive role model for the younger genera
Episode 95: How Hira Ali helps empower women around the world
Hira Ali is the CEO of Advancing Your Potential, Managing Director of International Women Empowerment Events, Founding Director of Career Excel, and Co-Founder of The Grey Area. Her leadership and coaching articles have been published in The Huff Post, Thrive Global, Women @ Forbes, Ellevate Network, Entrepreneur, and many more. In her new book, “Her Way to the Top: A Guide to Smashing the Glass Ceiling”, Hira highlights the roadblocks impeding a woman’s climb to the top, irrespective of her cul
Episode 94: Build your brand by unlocking the creative genius of teams – with Jeremy Miller
Jeremy Miller is a brand strategist, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the founder of Sticky Branding, a brand building agency. His first book, also called Sticky Branding, is a playbook for how small- and mid-sized companies challenge the giants of their industry to grow their brands. In October 2019, Jeremy published his latest book, Brand New Name, which provides a proven, step-by-step process to create an unforgettable name for anything — a brand, company, product, service, or idea —
Episode 93: Chasing a Stand-up Comedy Dream -- with Jessica Inserra (Explicit)
Jessica Inserra is a Los Angeles based stand-up comedian whose irreverent humor explores, among other things, themes from her life as a gay woman growing up in a colorful New York Italian family. Jessica recently commemorated 25 years of being out, having burst through the closet doors at the tender age of 14. Now she can be seen performing her unique brand of brash, edgy comedy at The Comedy Store, as well as other venues in and around Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle and beyond. She is currentl
Episode 92: How Mario Armstrong learned to Never Settle
Mario Armstrong is a two-time Emmy Award Winner, Digital Lifestyle Expert, entrepreneur, TV Host, public speaker, and motivator for the modern world, who delivers tactical advice to inspire people to take action towards pursuing their goals, dreams and passions. He’s the Host of the Never Settle Show, an NBC TODAY Show Contributor, appears on Dr. Oz, Steve Harvey, NPR, Inside Edition & more, and is a public speaker with Daymond John’s Shark Group’s Speaking Division. Mario’s new daily podcast, e
Episode 91: Designing a Life with Marketing, Mental Health & Mindset -- with Sydney Nanberg
Sydney Nanberg defied the conventional expectations of society by dropping out of college -- and then went on to build a six-figure marketing business by the young age of 20. Now Sydney teaches others how to better their lives with self-care, mindset, and entrepreneurship. Sydney's journey has been amazing, but certainly not easy. On this episode, she shares: How failing a college test led her to completely change her course in life How her challenges with mental health and being bullied influe
Episode 90: Finding Your Voice On The Air -- with Ginni Saraswati
Ginni Saraswati is an award-winning journalist, radio personality and celebrity interviewer with a unique brand of comedy that includes quick-witted introductions and on-air antics. She's the founder of Ginni Media, a boutique podcast production company, and the host of the podcast, The Ginni Show. On this episode, Ginni talks about: Her transition from working behind the scenes at an Australian radio station to becoming an on-air media personality What it was like moving from her native Sri
Episode 89: The Power of Podcasting (Recorded from She Podcasts Live in October 2019)
Welcome to a special mini episode of Beyond 6 Seconds! I recorded this episode from She Podcasts Live, the first conference of its kind for women podcasters, which took place in October 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. While I was here surrounded by so many talented podcasters, I wanted to learn more about their experiences… so I caught up with 6 podcasters at the conference and asked them one question: “What’s the most meaningful experience you’ve had as a result of having your podcast?” In this epi
Episode 88: How event ticketing can create amazing customer experiences -- with Josh Stine
This week's guest is Josh Stine, the co-founder and CEO of Seat Insiders, an event ticket concierge agency serving companies and individuals around the world. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Josh worked in cyber security and management consulting at PwC. Josh has also started several other successful side hustles over the past four years, but he has turned his focus solely to Seat Insiders since its founding. On this episode, you will hear Josh talk about: His journey from Big 4 consulting to
Episode 87: How Miracle Olatunji helps students start their careers
Miracle Olatunji is a college student, entrepreneur, and author of “Purpose: How To Live and Lead With Impact.” In high school, she founded OpportuniMe, an award-winning education organization which democratizes access to summer experiential learning opportunities for high school students. On this episode, Miracle shares: How her own struggle with finding summer opportunities in high school lead her to create OpportuniMe How she balances her life as a full time college student and entrepreneur
Episode 86: Helping young people create a path to success – with Michael Basagre
This week’s episode features Michael Basagre, who founded and runs a career coaching service and blog called Momettas while he works as a packaging consultant in New Zealand. Momettas focuses on helping young adults between the ages of 15 and 30 succeed as they transition out of key life milestones such as leaving school or university, getting their first job or looking for that next step in their career. In addition, Michael is dedicated to helping people discover a passion for personal develop
Episode 85: Growing and building a career that fits -- with Meg He
On this episode, meet Meg He, the co-founder of ADAY, a direct-to-consumer clothing brand that creates versatile, long-lasting apparel with a sustainable approach. ADAY was recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company, and Meg was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list with her co-founder, Nina Faulhaber. Prior to ADAY, Meg worked at Poshmark, Cowboy Ventures and Goldman Sachs, and received degrees at Oxford University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. On
Episode 84: Becoming Indistractable -- with Nir Eyal
Nir Eyal writes, consults and teaches about behavior design and habit formation -- at the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He has been dubbed “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology” by the MIT Technology Review, has founded two tech companies since 2003 and has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. Nir is also the author of the bestselling book, “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products” and a brand ne
Episode 83: How to Overcome Fear and Find Your Way as a Leader -- with Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina began her career as a secretary for a nine-person real-estate business, and eventually became the first woman ever to lead a Fortune 50 company as the CEO of Hewlett Packard. Her amazing career even includes running for the U.S. presidency in 2015. Now, Carly is the founder and chairman of Carly Fiorina Enterprises and of Unlocking Potential, a nonprofit organization that helps local leaders increase their leadership and problem-solving capabilities. Carly is also a best-selling a
Episode 82: How a StrongAssMindset can overcome colon cancer and other challenges in life -- with Tabitha Cavanagh
On this episode, you'll meet Tabitha Cavanagh, creator of the #StrongAssMindset hashtag on social media, and a co-chair of the Never Too Young Advisory Board for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. After facing an unexpected colon cancer diagnosis at a young age, Tabitha joined the field of recruiting, where she discovered her passion for bringing the right people together for the right opportunities at the right time, and helping others create intentional and meaningful mindsets. You can find Tabi
Episode 81: Ajay Prasad – Lessons in Serial Entrepreneurship
After working as a corporate marketing executive for over twenty years, Ajay Prasad decided to become his own boss. In 2004, he left the corporate world and started GMR Web Team, a digital marketing agency. After switching the focus of the business to healthcare, Ajay now works with healthcare providers to improve their online presence and increase their base of patients. Since then, Ajay has also become a serial entrepreneur: he has founded RepuGen, an online reputation software for healthcare
Episode 80: Marsha Guerrier – Women on the Rise NY
Marsha Guerrier is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, business analyst and coach, and CEO of Women on the Rise NY, Inc., a small business consulting agency. Marsha also has a full-time career in Financial Technology spanning over 20 years working for Fortune 500 and startup firms, working in areas of Quality Assurance, Business Analysis and Product Management. On this episode, Marsha shares how Women on the Rise NY provides women who work full time jobs with the community and resources to b
Episode 79: Forrest Schaffer – One Strong Herd
Forrest Schaffer is a “9-to-5er” at a digital marketing company and the founder of One Strong Herd, a fitness apparel and accessories brand and startup company. Forrest talks about the twists and turns in his career path, which included leaving his 9-5 job to join a startup that recruited him – only to be fired 9 days later – and how he used his time during the aftermath to find his current job and grow his startup. In addition to entrepreneurship, Forrest is passionate about the topics of perso
Episode 78: Gail Tolstoi-Miller– Busting unconscious bias in hiring
On this episode I talk with Gail Tolstoi-Miller -- an award-winning dual CEO, experienced recruiter, author and global keynote speaker -- about unconscious bias in hiring. Having personally felt the impact of unconscious bias early in her life, she now works with her corporate clients to raise awareness of unconscious bias and helps job seekers combat unconscious bias and even use it to their advantage. Gail also gave a TEDx talk on unconscious bias in hiring and recently launched her online cou
Episode 77: Michelle Tillis Lederman – The Connector’s Advantage
Michelle Tillis Lederman, one of Forbes’ Top 25 Networking Experts, is the author of four books including the #1 new release, The Connector’s Advantage. She is also the CEO of Executive Essentials, which provides customized communications and leadership programs for Fortune 500, non-profit, university and government clients. She is well known for helping people connect, work better together and advance their individual impact. On this episode, Michelle shares her career journey and valuable advi
Episode 76: Jenny Watzka – Building a profitable consulting firm while traveling full time
Jenny Watzka worked at a Big 4 consulting firm for three years before ditching her 9 to 5 (or in her case, 9 am to 10 pm) after the sudden death of her father. Surrounded by doubters and naysayers, she successfully built her own profitable consulting firm while traveling full time. Jenny helps business owners around the world ditch the daily overwhelm and grow their companies through automated workflows, internal system development, effective leadership and communication training. You can reach
Episode 75: Rachel Werner – Consulting, Motherhood and Entrepreneurship
After working for years in the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors, Rachel Werner founded RBW Strategy, her women-owned consulting firm based in the Washington, DC Metro area. She’s an expert in the full lifecycle of grants activities, and currently provides fundraising, project management and strategic planning support to nonprofit, public sector and for-profit clients. She is also an award-winning business owner who was recently recognized as a SCORE Client of the Year! On this episode, R
Episode 74: Bryan Wempen – Sober Is Better
Bryan Wempen is a speaker and an author. His latest book, “Sober Is Better, My Note to Self,” describes Bryan’s journey into daily drinking and finding his way to living a sober lifestyle. In this episode, Bryan walks us through his story – how early trauma and a feeling of disconnectedness led him to become a high-functioning alcoholic by high school, his experiences with drugs during his college years, what it was like growing his career while struggling with addiction, and what motivated h
Episode 73: Jordan Gross – The Journey to Cloud Nine
Jordan Gross is a Northwestern and Kellogg School of Management graduate, a two-time startup founder, a TEDx speaker, and a #1 best-selling author. His upcoming book, “The Journey to Cloud Nine,” provides a new approach to the personal development world by using fictional storytelling to reveal some of life's most meaningful principles. In this episode, Jordan describes his own journey to Cloud Nine – how he lived life “by the book” and worked at a lucrative but uninspiring job, then quit to foc
Episode 72: Emily Winston -- How the perfect NY bagel came to California (an episode from the Vibrant Visionaries podcast)
This week I'm doing a podcast "episode swap" with fellow podcaster Heidi Bennett, the host of the Vibrant Visionaries podcast (and my guest from Episode 68 of Beyond 6 Seconds)! This means that Heidi is publishing my interview episode with her on the Vibrant Visionaries podcast, and I’ve chosen one of her episodes to feature here on Beyond 6 Seconds: her interview with Emily Winston. While living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Emily missed the authentic NY bagels from her youth so much that she
Episode 71: Matt LeBris – Legacy over currency
After graduating college, Matt LeBris spent three years working with Daymond John of ABC’s Shark Tank. Now Matt is the founder of 1B Branding (a branding agency in NY City), the host of the Decoding Success Podcast, and speaks in front of audiences across the U.S. – all of which propel him closer to his goal of positively impacting the lives of one billion individuals. On this episode, Matt shares the successes and challenges that he’s faced in his life, including: How he turned a 5 minute conv
Episode 70: Scott Miller – Management Mess to Leadership Success
Scott Miller is the EVP of Thought Leadership at FranklinCovey. He is also the author of the #1 hot new release on Amazon, “Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow.” A self-described “management mess,” Scott shares what he has learned from his own leadership mistakes, what characteristics are important for successful leadership, and how his book combines his stories with activities to help readers admit their own messes, apply the lessons he lea
Episode 69: Maria Pesin – Helping fashion entrepreneurs build successful businesses
Maria Pesin is a fashion industry consultant and senior apparel industry executive with more than 25 years of field experience. She is the author of the e-book “14 Essential Truths Everyone in the Fashion Business Should Know” and the CEO of Vibe Consulting, where she helps aspiring fashion entrepreneurs build successful businesses. She has built multi-million-dollar brands, and has constructed and implemented business plans for New York apparel giants like Fleet Street and GIII Apparel Group. F
Episode 68: Heidi Bennett – Bringing multi-creative dreams to life
How do you build a life and career that fulfills your passion, if you’re passionate about multiple things? This is a question that Heidi Bennett helps people answer. Heidi is a business and wellness coach for multi-creative professionals – i.e., people with a multitude of interests who can’t limit themselves to doing one thing only, day in and day out. She helps her clients design their own careers by bringing all their interests and talents together into different projects. Heidi is also the
Episode 67: Justin Nguyen – Breaking with tradition to uncover career success for college students
Justin Nguyen is the 22-year-old CEO of GetChoGrindUp and Co-Host of the Young and D.U.M.B. (Dedicated, Up-and-coming, Motivated, Bold) Podcast. Justin’s mission is to uncover the blueprint to career success for college students, and educate them about traditional jobs (through GetChoGrindUp) and non-traditional jobs (via the Young and D.U.M.B. podcast). On this episode, Justin talks about growing up in the United States as the son of Vietnamese refugees, the pressure he felt from his family to
Episode 66: Amir Bormand – "What if" doesn’t work here
Amir Bormand is the Co-founder of Elevano, a candidate-centric technical recruitment company. On this episode, Amir and I talk about how he quit his job to start Elevano right when he got married, and how his wife’s support and belief in his abilities were critical to the success of his business. Most of our conversation, however, focuses on the aftermath of a near death experience that Amir had at the age of 17. This experience had a lasting impact on Amir’s life, as he struggled for many years
Episode 65: Georgie-Ann Getton-Mckoy – Helping dreamers become doers (explicit)
Georgie-Ann Getton-Mckoy is an execution strategist, serial entrepreneur, community builder, speaker, author and diversity in tech enthusiast. She loves helping businesses and people become more productive, find creative solutions to their problems, and execute on their ideas, and she’s an expert at turning “dreamers” into “doers.” Her new book, “The Art of Getting Sh*t Done” was published in February 2019. On this episode, Georgie talks about: How, as a child, she became the go-to person for s
Episode 64: Nikhil Pampati – Educating students about their career options through Jobscopia
Nikhil Pampati is a high school senior at the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies in New Jersey. In his free time, he serves as the cofounder and CFO of the national nonprofit Jobscopia, which runs programs that connect students with professionals and provide them with real-life insights into potential careers. On this episode, Nikhil shares the story of what inspired him to start Jobscopia when he was a high school junior, and how he evolved this idea
Episode 63: Marc Mawhinney – How to bounce back from adversity and deal with haters (explicit)
Marc Mawhinney is a lifelong entrepreneur who helps coaches get more clients (without paid advertising)! He achieves this with his coaching programs; his two podcasts (Natural Born Coaches and The Marc Mawhinney Minute); his Facebook group The Coaching Jungle, and his exclusive print newsletter – Secret Coach Club. In this podcast, Marc tells us about his personal experiences with overcoming two big challenges: Bouncing back from adversity: August 11, 2009 was Marc's worst day in business: thi
Episode 62: Mike Lemme -- A comedy tour of European conference rooms
At the end of 2018, New York City stand-up comedian Mike Lemme traveled to London, Paris and Rome to perform in some unusual venues – conference rooms that he rented in local office buildings – while documenting his experience on YouTube. On this podcast, Mike describes his adventures from his European conference room comedy tour (including his encounters with drunk people, newlyweds, protests & riots, and an “overexposed” Couchsurfing host). He also shares how these gigs gave him the confidence
Episode 61: Kevin M. Yates -- From layoff to dream career
What happens when you’re a high performer at work, with decades of success and upward progression in your career, and then you get laid off for the first time? That’s what happened to Kevin M. Yates. When his role working in learning & development was eliminated, Kevin found himself in the unfamiliar and frustrating situation of job searching while unemployed. As weeks of job searching turned into months, he experienced sadness, depression, fear, and self-doubt in the face of rejection, silence
Episode 60: Charlotte Underwood – Mental health writer and advocate
Charlotte Underwood is a mental health advocate and writer in the UK with a passion for preventing suicide and providing support for those in need. On this episode, Charlotte shares how her own personal experiences inspired her to write about mental health, the biases and stigma that people with mental illnesses often face in the UK, and how she raises her voice to encourage people to talk about mental health and listen to the experiences of others. Charlotte also discusses the importance of lis
Episode 59: Jeff Weisbein – The evolution of BestTechie, a 15-year-old digital media company
Jeff Weisbein is the founder and Editor-in-Chief at BestTechie – a company he started when he was 13 years old and grew it into a digital media company that makes technology easy for everyone to learn about. He also hosts a podcast called TechieBytes, which features insightful and thought-provoking conversations with tech experts and business executives. On this episode, Jeff shares what inspired him to start BestTechie in the early days of the Internet, how he recognized opportunities to grow h
Episode 58: Stacy Sherman – Blogging about Customer Experience through DoingCXRight
Stacy Sherman is the Director of Customer Experience (CX) at Schindler Elevator Corporation. When she’s not at her day job, Stacy shares her extensive CX expertise on her blog, DoingCXRight, which provides mentorship and knowledge sharing with CX professionals looking to differentiate their companies and personal brand. On this episode, Stacy shares: What inspired her to start DoingCXRight back in 2017, and the type of content she writes for the blog How she balances work, family, friends, blo
Episode 57: Amanda Watson – StyleForIt plus size fashion
Amanda Watson has 20 years of experience in apparel buying, merchandising, and wholesale in San Francisco. She has worked for major fashion lines throughout her career, including Macy's West, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren. She was working at IGIGI Dresses when she came up with the idea for StyleForIt -- an online site where plus size women can consign and buy pre-owned current fashion sizes 12–32 -- to provide a resale space for the expanding category of Plus Fashion. On this episode, Amanda sha
Episode 56: Daniel Gefen - The Self Help Addict
Daniel Gefen is the CEO of the Gefen Media Group, a podcast production and booking company. He hosts a podcast called “Can I Pick Your Brain?” and is the author of the bestselling book, “The Self Help Addict.” On this episode, Daniel describes himself as a former Self Help Addict, where he was trapped in a vicious cycle of consuming life-changing knowledge without taking any life-changing action. After 10 years of procrastination, he shares how he finally broke this cycle and motivated himself t
Episode 55: Jacqueline Jasionowski - Shift Awake into conscious-based leadership
Jacqueline Jasionowski left her 18+ year career in the corporate automotive world to start her own business, Shift Awake, which is dedicated to working with leaders to create purpose-driven environments and game-changing results. Jacqueline believes consciousness is innovation. Leveraging her expertise in leadership coaching, customer experience and human resources, she intends to flip the way most organizations view the human experience and challenges leaders to focus on purpose, while using co
Episode 54: Kevin Patrick Allen – Life, loss and What Comes Next
Kevin Patrick Allen has been a reporter from sea to shining sea, telling stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges. Now, he’s produced a documentary called “What Comes Next” that examines what happens when you lose a dream, lose a loved one, or even lose your freedom. The project was an opportunity to go beyond the skipping-stone nature of today’s journalism into a deeper exploration of the human condition. In this podcast, Kevin takes us behind-the-scenes into the stories he fe
Episode 53: Lisa DeLay – Spiritual formation and the healing power of presence and connection
Lisa DeLay has always been interested in the spiritual, and how humans can connect with the divine and each other in healthy and healing ways. In this episode, Lisa talks about the spiritual and family crisis she faced in her childhood and young adulthood, her studies of religion and spiritual formation, and her work as a part-time professor at Gratz College, where she helps new K-12 special education teachers learn mindfulness techniques they can use to benefit their students. Lisa also host
Episode 52: Karen Jaw-Madson – Building organizational culture using design thinking
Karen Jaw-Madson is an organizational change and culture expert who enjoyed success as a corporate executive before pursuing a “portfolio career” comprised of research, writing, consulting, teaching/speaking, and creative pursuits. Her book "Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work" was released in June 2018. This book is a guide for implementing the methodology she created -- Design of Work Experience (DOWE) – which combines organizational culture with design thinking, learning, appre
BONUS Episode 52: Karen Jaw-Madson and the “soap opera” of book publishing
In this bonus episode, organizational change and culture expert Karen Jaw-Madson (my guest from Episode 52) talks about finding and working with a publisher for her book “Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work” – and why she describes her experience as a “soap opera!” She shares what she learned, the advice that helped encourage her through all the rejections, and her own advice for authors who are trying to get their books published. Find out more about Karen at www.designofworkexpe
Episode 51: Natasha Nurse – Empowering women through fashion, media and entrepreneurship
Natasha Nurse is a licensed attorney by trade who held various stints in the corporate world prior to making a foray into fashion, writing, media and entrepreneurship. Natasha started Dressing Room 8 to provide a web-based resource where women can gain personal and professional empowerment through her fashion and lifestyle focused blog, consultation and coaching services. She is also the Program Coordinator for Long Island Girl Talk, a Long Island community-based start-up program that teaches te
Episode 50: Gina Marie Agderian – How to write a novel while balancing the demands of work and life
Gina Marie Agderian is a New Jersey-based, independent author who self-published her first novel in April 2018 titled “The Letters in the Old House.” In her novel, a woman at a crossroads in her life discovers mysterious letters in her aunt & uncle’s Jersey Shore beach house, then goes on a mission to figure out the story behind the letters while learning about herself in the process. In this episode, Gina talks about how she finally stopped putting off her childhood dream of writing a novel, an
Episode 49: Esther Hofknecht Curtis – The #GuestBloggerProject and the power of sharing your words with the world
Esther Hofknecht Curtis is a blogger, writer, and content creator who established Parrot Content + Copy to develop her freelance business. She is also the creator of the #GuestBloggerProject, which she hosted in May and October 2018 to provide a platform for writers to share their stories and understand how the project impacts organic social media reach and SEO for the project's host. Based on her experience, she has written a short e-book called “Boost Your Blog with the #GuestBloggerProject: A
Episode 48: Flip em the Bird – How Susie Moschkau and Natalie Buckman hatched their funny, fashionable, fingerless gloves
When you don’t have the words, let your gloves say it for you! Flip ‘em the Bird, Inc. is a women-owned, Minnesota based start-up founded by Susie Moschkau and Natalie Buckman. While freezing at their office jobs and looking for some comic relief to combat the day to day challenges of corporate life, Susie and Natalie hatched their idea for Flip ‘em the Bird fingerless gloves! After 2 decades of friendship and the dread of turning the big 4-0, they decided it was time to take their hilariousness
Episode 47: Marcia McNair – How Sistas on Fire addresses social issues through theatrical performance
Professor Marcia McNair is the co-author of Sistas on Fire, an award-winning theatrical performance that addresses pressing social issues from an African-American female perspective. On this episode, Marcia shares what inspired her to create Sistas on Fire about 10 years ago, and how it evolved from a collection of writings into a theatrical experience that incorporates the spoken word, music and dance. She also shares how Sistas on Fire has connected with people across race, class, gender, rel
Episode 46: Samantha Harris – Thriving after cancer and living Your Healthiest Healthy
Samantha Harris is an Emmy-winning entertainment journalist and TV host. Most of you may know Samantha from her eight seasons as the co-host of the hit show, Dancing with the Stars, or her many years as one of the hosts of Entertainment Tonight. In this podcast, Samantha shares her breast cancer story, which began when she trusted her instinct about a lump that she was told was “nothing.” Out of the emotional turmoil of her diagnosis, Samantha and her husband founded the online community Gotta M
Episode 45: Rhodes Perry – Cultivating workplace cultures of belonging
Rhodes Perry helps business leaders, change agents, and visionaries at all levels cultivate workplace cultures of belonging through his leadership & management consulting firm. He is an award-winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. He is also a nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader with two decades of government and nonprofit experience, having worked at the White House, PFLAG National, and the City of New York. In this episode, Rhodes shares what inspire
Episode 44: Larry Sprung – Founder of Mitlin Financial and advocate for suicide prevention
This episode features Larry Sprung, the President and Founder of Mitlin Financial, Inc. He also serves on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). On this episode, Larry discusses the critical events in his life that shaped his career and advocacy: How his mother’s long battle with breast cancer led him to a career helping people plan for critical financial events in their lives, and How the loss of his brother-in-law to suicide led Larry to become involv
Episode 43: Becky Curran – Advocating for disability inclusion
Becky Curran is the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Director at Disability:IN, where she is responsible for managing the overall DEI program. Born with achondroplastic dwarfism, Becky talks about her life & career as an advocate for increasing disability inclusion, including: Her childhood health challenges and experiences with social exclusion The importance of her support system of family, friends and doctor How she navigated through multiple challenges to forge her own career path in the
Episode 42: Mark Metry – Humans 2.0
Mark Metry is the Host of Humans 2.0, a Top 100 podcast where he interviews billionaires, New York Times bestselling authors, and other legendary world-class human beings. He’s also the founder of VU Dream, a virtual and augmented reality marketing & advertising agency based in Boston. In this episode, Mark talks about his childhood as the son of immigrant parents, and how one of his entrepreneurial ventures as a teenager lifted his family out of poverty. Despite this financial success, he battl
Episode 41: Stories for Success – How to get unstuck and move your plot forward (with Valerie Gordon & Carolyn Kiel)
In this episode, Beyond 6 Seconds host Carolyn Kiel is interviewed by her guest, Valerie Gordon, a 10-time Emmy award-winning television producer and owner of the career and communication strategy firm, Commander-in-She. Carolyn talks about a time in her career when she felt stuck and what she did to get unstuck, then Valerie & Carolyn share practical tips and advice for getting unstuck, including how to: Take the time to identify what it is you like to do Use conflict and dissatisfaction to y
Episode 40: Andy Storch – How new habits can transform your life and career
Andy Storch is a consultant, coach and facilitator who helps his clients turn strategy into action. Andy works with companies to accelerate leadership development, strategy alignment, business acumen and sales training. He also coaches individuals to help them improve their performance and achieve their goals, so they can do the best work of their lives. Additionally, Andy hosts two podcasts: The Entrepreneur Hot Seat (now called The Andy Storch Show), where he has interviewed over 100 CEOs and
Episode 39: Erica Stanford – Cryptocurrency Simplified
Erica Stanford got into the field of cryptocurrency as an investor in early 2017. She is now the co-founder of cryptocurrencysimplified.com - a project aiming to make crypto and blockchain be better understood and adopted by the mainstream public. On this episode, Erica discusses how she educated herself about blockchain technology and became fascinated by its current impact and potential to transform society and empower individuals in almost every industry worldwide. Inspired by the trial and e
Episode 38: Cyd Alper-Sedgwick – Feng Shui for healing homes and businesses
Cyd Alper-Sedgwick is a Feng Shui Master based in Cincinnati Ohio, with clients throughout the US and Europe. She has a passion for healing buildings, and consequently, the people in the buildings. A second generation Feng Shui Practitioner, she also brings her expertise as an Interior Designer into her consultations. On this episode, Cyd shares how she learned to practice Feng Shui from her mother at an early age, why she transitioned her practice from a hobby to a career, and how she makes peo
Episode 37: Malavika Vivek – Girls Make Apps
Malavika Vivek is the cofounder of Girls Make Apps, a U.S. nonprofit she began as a high school junior in 2016. To date, Girls Make Apps has inspired hundreds of girls and women from middle school through college to enter the world of tech through free workshops, programs and hackathons across the country from New York to California, and has worked with educators to improve computer science education in public schools. Some of Girls Make Apps’ partners have included Spotify, Google and Microsoft
Episode 36: The Evolution of Beyond 6 Seconds
In this mini-episode of Beyond 6 Seconds, our host Carolyn Kiel shares her blog post about why she started podcasting and what she’s learned since publishing the first episodes at the beginning of this year. Check out her written post on the Parrot Content + Copy blog at https://www.parrotcontent.com/single-post/2018/10/30/Beyond-6-Seconds .
Episode 35: Deborah Tan-Pink – How resilience and grit can beat bullies and grow your career
Deborah Tan-Pink is the Head of Content at SmartUp, an edtech startup focused on microlearning for corporate employees. She spent a decade in publishing before deciding to venture into entrepreneurship and technology. On this episode, we talk about how Deborah built her resilience and grit during her school years, when she was bullied by both students and teachers – and how she used that resilience and grit to rise quickly from intern to Editor-in-Chief at Cosmopolitan Singapore, with skills an
Episode 34: Jake Melton – Minimalism, Simplicity and “Cutting the Crap”
Jake Melton is a keynote speaker, author and change expert who focuses on minimalism and simplicity. As the Founder of the J.B. Melton Group, LLC., he helps organizations streamline, improve people processes, find peace, reduce stress, increase organizational effectiveness, and embrace change in a demanding workforce. He also helps people minimalize their lives and find greater purpose and fulfillment in their businesses, families, teams, etc. by simplifying and "cutting the crap." In this episo
Episode 33: Dave Sanderson – How to thrive after your personal plane crash moment
Dave Sanderson was traveling on a business trip on January 15th, 2009. The trip would change his life forever – because Dave was a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549, also known as “The Miracle on the Hudson” piloted by Captain Sullenberger (“Sully”). On this episode, Dave talks about what it was like to survive the crash itself and how he was able to grow from this traumatic experience. He also shares several practical strategies that anyone can use to grow and thrive after their own “personal
Episode 32: Tiffany Pham – You Are a Mogul
Tiffany Pham is the Founder & CEO of Mogul, an award-winning worldwide online platform that enables women to connect, share information, and access knowledge from each other. She is also the author of You Are a Mogul, the top 10 best-selling business book that describes her experience with forging her own path in an age of disruption – and advice for how you can do it too! In this episode, Tiffany shares her incredible journey: her childhood move from Paris, France to Plano, Texas (before she co
Episode 31: Bob Sager – Innovation, entrepreneurship and finding your BIG Idea
Have you ever wished you could be more creative and come up with the next “big idea” for your business (or your life in general)? My guest on today’s episode, Bob Sager, helps people discover and unlock this ability within themselves. As the founder of SpearPoint Solutions LLC, Bob is a consultant and trainer on how to use innovative thinking to create practical solutions for business and life. Bob describes how the lessons he learned early in his career fueled his success as an entrepreneur: t
Episode 30: Carin Rockind – Empowering women to reclaim their happiness & uncover their purpose
Carin Rockind is a leading happiness expert, motivational speaker, and the creator of PurposeGirl, a movement to empower purpose-driven living. She has taught thousands of people real-life strategies to reclaim their happiness and live to their fullest potential of success and well-being. On October 18th, she is launching the first annual Women's Global Happiness Day (www.womenshappy.com) in over 50 cities worldwide, which will raise awareness of the women’s depression epidemic and bring women t
Episode 29: Kenn Day – Finding Connection with the Communal Soul in Business
Kenn Day is a professional Shaman based in Cincinnati, Ohio. An internationally recognized lecturer, educator, and author with over twenty-five years’ experience exploring the mysteries of the human spirit, Kenn helps companies and organizations rediscover the healing power of deep connection with the collective soul. This work activates true problem engagement that brings about transformations essential to wellbeing and productivity. Kenn describes what a professional shaman does, how his quest
Episode 28: Kim Foster Carlson – Good Enough
Kim Foster Carlson is an award-winning broadcast journalist, athlete and author of the book "Good Enough: How to Overcome Fear of Failure and Perfectionism to Live Your Best Life." In this episode, Kim shares why she wrote this book for millennials, who have been called “the most anxious generation”, and how her message has resonated with Baby Boomers too. She describes her own struggle with perfectionism throughout her career, and how she discovered the importance of trying new things and becom
Episode 27: Adrienne Garland -- Supporting women business owners with She Leads Media
Adrienne Garland is the founder and CEO of She Leads Media, a boutique marketing consultancy and conference production company serving women-led businesses. She also runs the She Leads Annual Conference, which brings together new and experienced women entrepreneurs to share business tools, resources and advice that help level the playing field for women-led businesses. In this episode, Adrienne describes the resources that women entrepreneurs need to build and finance their businesses. She also
Episode 26: Femi Opaneye – A harrowing journey to entrepreneurial success
Femi Opaneye is the Founder and CEO of Linked Optimization, which helps businesses generate B2B leads and sales through LinkedIn. He is a successful entrepreneur today -- but he almost didn’t survive to get to this point. On this episode, Femi opens up about his difficult career journey, and the years of pain and struggle that preceded his success: working as a self-described “dreadful employee” in investment banking, losing his job, struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, returning t
Episode 25: Dr. Ginny Baro - Fearless Women at Work
Dr. Ginny Baro is the CEO and founder of Fearless Women @Work, an executive coaching and career strategy company. She is also the #1 bestselling author of “Fearless Women at Work,” a motivational speaker, and a leadership expert. On this episode, Ginny shares her own story of immigrating from the Dominican Republic as a child, being the first person in her family to go to college (and then going on to earn her MBA and PhD) , her 26-year corporate leadership career in IT, and how her divorce com
Episode 24: Steven Riecker – An epic journey on the Appalachian Trail
Steven Riecker has been passionate about the outdoors for over 50 years. In 2017, he embarked on an EPIC journey and thru-hiked the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, over 5 months, through 14 states and hiked nearly 5 million footsteps. It transformed his life – and now he leads hikes for others on the Appalachian Trail as well. On this episode, Steven describes his epic journey, how his best friend Roger’s battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has inspired him, and a
Episode 23: Shannon Villalba - Holistic medicine therapies with HIME Wellness
Shannon Villalba is an entrepreneur, lawyer, and holistic health practitioner based in the Cincinnati area. During her bout with small cell cervical cancer, a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine cancer, she used many holistic and complementary medicine therapies in addition to traditional medical treatments. As a result of this journey, she created HIME Wellness: Healing through Inspiration, Motivation, and Education. HIME Wellness is a company that provides practitioners and the community at lar
Episode 22: Katarina Garcia – Designing athleisure apparel for Katsey women
This episode features Katarina Garcia, a fashion designer & competitive tennis player who combined those passions to launch Katsey, her new athleisure apparel line for women ages 40 and older. Katarina discusses how she navigated the challenges leading up to her clothing line’s launch, and how she used LinkedIn to build business relationships with executives and venture capitalists, which ultimately led to a deal with the new fashion division of Amazon. She also shares her plans to use Katsey to
Episode 21: Tyler Jackson – Trove Branding Consultants and the power of social media
Tyler Jackson is the owner and founder of Trove Branding Consultants, a social media management agency that caters to entrepreneurs, brands, and corporations worldwide. In this episode, Tyler shares valuable digital marketing and branding advice for small businesses, recommends the books that have helped her strengthen her skills as a business owner and build her team, and the importance of being a lifelong learner. Learn more about Trove Branding Consultants at their website www.TroveBrandingCo
Episode 20: Roxana Radulescu – Building Your Skills is All Personal
Roxana Radulescu is a learning & development consultant who founded All Personal, where she provides coaching services for developing your personal skills (also known as “soft skills”). She is also the host of the All Personal podcast, which features stories about how people discover and use their unique sets of skills throughout their lives. On this episode, Roxana shares the importance of building your strengths & skills like muscles and how she manages the challenges of being a new solo entre
Episode 19: Elena Deutsch - Giving Miserable Women Lawyers the WILL to Leave Big Law
Imagine you've invested years of your life in law school, landed a lucrative job at a prestigious big law firm, and … you absolutely hate it! What would you do? Elena Deutsch has a solution for women lawyers who find themselves in this difficult situation. Elena is an experienced executive coach and career consultant who founded WILL: Women Interested in Leaving (big) Law. She helps women lawyers leave big law firms for a career and life filled with greater control and satisfaction. Elena talk
Episode 18: Lizy Dastin – Art and Seeking within the world of street art
Lizy Dastin is the owner and founder of Art and Seeking, a platform that bridges the gap between the mainstream art world to the unorthodox world of street art. Lizy shares how her idea for Art and Seeking came about during a low point in her life, why her business evolved its services from art-focused walking tours into a free digital archive of street art for the public and managerial support for artists, and what her craziest experiences have been while interviewing street artists. Learn more
Episode 17: Jeannette Wheatley - Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Jeannette Wheatley spent 3 years volunteering with a charitable organization called World Hope for their hurricane relief efforts in Louisiana. Far from her home in Michigan and with a broken shoulder, Jeannette shares why she traveled to New Orleans to support hurricane victims, how she inspired businesses in her hometown to donate funds and materials to rebuild people’s lives, and how her faith in God led her to hear the call to volunteer and
Episode 16: Katharine Griffiths - Helping Companies Thrive by Embracing Gender Diversity
Katharine Griffiths is a telecommunications veteran with a passion for gender equality, who is helping companies thrive by embracing gender diversity. She shares what inspired her to build her brand around gender equality, the unique methodology she has developed to drive gender diversity, and how sharing stories and working through conflict can help women and men create lasting change. You can contact Katharine on her website at www.katharinegriffiths.com, via email at katharinegriffiths@outloo
Episode 15: Conrad Agderian - At Conrad’s Concessions, Your Parties Are His Business
Conrad Agderian is the Founder and Owner of Conrad’s Concessions, a party equipment rental business in Bergenfield NJ. In this episode, he shares how he evolved his company from a side-hustle for “beer money” into a successful full-time business, why he left the 9-to-5 corporate working world behind to become an entrepreneur, and what he’s learned about providing excellent customer service and responding positively to negative feedback. You can contact Conrad at (201) 214-2125 or www.conradsconc
Episode 14: Avery Schrader - Helping Online Content Creators with Modash
Avery Schrader is the Founder and CEO of Modash, a startup based in Tallinn, Estonia. Modash helps current & aspiring online content creators (like photographers, filmmakers, writers & social media influencers) find opportunities to partner and collaborate with established brands. These opportunities help content creators grow, create and do what they love. In this episode, Avery discusses what inspired him to build a digital marketing start-up in a new country, how networking helps him find men
Episode 13: Deborah Davis - Changing Public Perception of Disability through PUSHLivingPhotos.com
Deborah Davis is the Founder and Owner of PUSHLivingPhotos.com, a company that aims to increase photos and imagery of people with disabilities in the tourism, leisure and lifestyle mediums. She is also an accomplished speaker, trainer and consultant on the topic of Positive Disability Inclusion. In this episode, Deborah shares what sets her company apart from other stock image providers, how she helps empower people with disabilities through photo modeling and income-earning opportunities, and h
Episode 12: Kyle Elliott - Finding a Job You LOVE (or at least tolerate) with CaffeinatedKyle.com
Kyle Elliott is the Career Coach behind CaffeinatedKyle.com, where he helps people find jobs they LOVE (or at least tolerate). On this episode, he shares how his diverse background in health education, public administration, mental health and LGBT+ advocacy helped him develop a coaching practice to guide people through their careers, while encouraging them to care for themselves along the way. We also talk about Kyle’s love of coffee (particularly Starbucks) and advice for being a good networker
Episode 11: Sara Holoubek - Open Innovation at Luminary Labs
This episode features Sara Holoubek, the CEO and founder of Luminary Labs, a consultancy that develops strategies and innovation systems to help Fortune 500, government, and nonprofit organizations thrive in the face of change. Sara discusses Luminary Labs’ groundbreaking work in open innovation, which brings together, guides and incents people and organizations to solve the “thorny problems that matter” in society, such as stemming chronic disease, closing the skills gap, rethinking the future
Episode 10: Lauren Magura - Diverse Hiring in Film & TV with Cinematcher
Lauren Magura is the founder of Cinematcher, a matchmaking app that enables diverse talent to hire and get hired for film, TV and digital projects instantly and globally. In this episode, Lauren shares how she got the inspiration to create Cinematcher, her skills that help her succeed as an entrepreneur, and how she is growing and diversifying Cinematcher's reach and impact. You can contact Lauren at Lauren.Magura@cinematcher.com, visit www.cinematcher.com to download the iOS app and sign up fo
Episode 9: Christine Gritmon - Social Media Strategy for Small Businesses
Christine Gritmon is the founder of her own social media consulting company, Christine Gritmon Inc., which helps small local businesses strategically connect with their community of customers where they already are: social media. Most of her clients are based in NY in Rockland County and Westchester County. On this podcast she shares how her previous 3 careers helped prepare her for business ownership, the hard lessons she learned during her first year in business, and how she has reenergized an
Episode 8: Barbara Monahan - From Corporate to Cleric
What if you knew your true calling from an early age, but you were forbidden to pursue it? This was the situation that Barbara Monahan faced for most of her life, until a year of illness and loss fueled her to finally fulfill her life's purpose. On this podcast, Barbara shares her journey from Corporate to Cleric: how she made the transition from a long career in the corporate world to fulfill her true calling as a minister, spiritual director, author and coach. You can contact Barbara on Linked
Episode 7: Kristal Murren - Bossy Girl Leadership
What would you do if your greatest talents were suddenly taken away from you? My guest in this episode, Kristal Murren, had over a decade of experience in leading leaders, cultivating organizational cultures and training trainers -- then her successful career was interrupted by a car accident that turned her life upside down. Kristal will talk about what happened, how she reclaimed her old strengths and developed new strengths during her recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and how she
Episode 6: Yvonne Connolly - Ageism in the Job Search
In this episode, Yvonne Connolly shares her experience with ageism in her job search: what it looks like, the impact of ageism, and advice for dealing with age discrimination as a job seeker. She also talks about her #100DaysofHelp social media campaign to connect job seekers to employment opportunities, resources and support. Yvonne shares what she is looking for in her next role, and we discuss the importance of mentoring, company culture, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. If you would
Episode 5: Anna Pilette - Robotics & Drone Technology
This episode features Anna Pilette, a Geophysicist and a Technologist out of Portland Oregon. Anna shares her experience working with robotics and drone technology, her thoughts on the future application of this technology, and how she brings her scientific experience together with her artistic interest through her art company, Atomic Dumpling Media. She is also looking for a role working with a drone manufacturer. Learn more about Anna at her website www.aspilette.com . Anna’s bio: For over two
Episode 4: Fennie Wang - Blockchain & Social Impact
This podcast features Fennie Wang from the ixo network, a nonprofit organization that uses blockchain technology to create social impact. A lawyer by trade, Fennie discusses how she pivoted her career from traditional securities law to blockchain, the impact of a chance introduction to Ross Ulbricht (the infamous founder of the Silk Road darkweb market), and how her latest project with UNICEF uses blockchain to improve attendance tracking in South African preschools. You can find more informatio
Episode 3: Shobha Vanchiswar - Mukta Jivan orphanage in India
This episode features Shobha Vanchiswar, a writer and artist in New York who is leveraging her talents to help children halfway around the world. Together with her daughter, niece and friends, she is supporting the education of HIV positive girls at an orphanage in India called Mukta Jivan. Shobha talks about how she first got started by bringing school supplies and money to the orphanage, then expanded her support to build and fund a music program there, and how she uses her artistic and writin
Episode 2: Lynn Urlaub - Cuddle Spoons
How can a pair of spoons change people’s lives and support a community? In today’s episode, we answer these questions with Lynn Urlaub, the owner of Cuddle Spoons – the fun and functional spoons that are easy to hold and make adorable gifts for everyone! Lynn shares the story of how her partner Ken created Cuddle Spoons after he became disabled, how the spoons are helping people with disabilities feed themselves and be more independent, and how their business is raising funds to support the Hous
Episode 1: Petal Pennycooke - Executive Right Hand
This episode features Petal Pennycooke, the Founder and Chief Executive Right Hand of Executive Right Hand, a premium provider of support to C-suite executives who are in transition in their careers. Executive Right Hand offers a wide range of services tailored to the unique needs of its senior executive clients, making their career transitions seamless. We'll learn how Petal got the inspiration to start Executive Right Hand, how she is growing her business, what she has learned along the way, a
Welcome to Beyond 6 Seconds! (Podcast Trailer)
First impressions can take only 6 seconds to make! But if you’re neurodivergent, those quick judgments about you can be misleading. I’m Carolyn Kiel, and I host the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast. I interview neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creatives and advocates, including those who are autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic, have ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome, and more. And, as an autistic person myself, I share my own story here as well. Together, we share our authentic neurodivergent lives – the triumphs, the s