Advocate For Me

Victoria uses the djembe to spread awareness for the Autistic community. As an advocate for autism, Victoria continues to make her mark. Victoria was diagnosed with autism when she was three years old and couldn't speak until she was seven years old. She developed a close relationship with music which led her to study the djembe drum. Victoria shares her passion with the autism community with an intention to inspire women of all races, gender, and creed. She is a principal performer in all-female drum and dance company, Ayodele Drum and Dance. Victoria has performed with various afrobeat, R & B, and hip-artist around the Chicagoland area. Victoria graduated from Western Illinois University in December 2012 with a bachelor's degree in communication and minor in theater. After graduation, Victoria Boateng studied West African drumming with master drummer Bolokoda Conde, Michael Taylor and Tosha Ayo Alston. Victoria is now a substitute teacher at Old Town School of Folk Music and host drum classes for the Autism community at Divine Purpose Fine Arts Center in Chicago, IL. In addition, Victoria has consistently practiced mastering her craft onstage with life artists throughout the city of Chicago.

We are excited to welcome back a past guest, A.C.A., on our podcast! In this episode, we dive into an important conversation about waivers, get an update on A., and learn how she is making a meaningful impact in her community—advocating for her son and supporting other families. You won't want to miss this inspiring discussion!

Welcome to our latest podcast episode, where we spotlight the incredible Advocate for Me conference. In this session, you'll hear from a group of remarkable mothers who are not only dedicated caregivers to their neurodivergent children but also passionate advocates, mentors, and thriving professionals. They open up about their personal journeys—the trials they've faced, the victories they've celebrated, and how their strength is making a difference in the lives of many families. Join us as we dive into these inspiring conversations, filled with resilience, hope, and a commitment to change. (Live September 14, 2024)

This conversation features a group of advocates discussing their experiences and insights on self-care, advocacy, and community support for families with children with disabilities. The speakers share personal stories, emphasize the importance of mental health, and provide practical advice on navigating the system and building a supportive community. They highlight the power of advocacy and the impact of individual voices in creating change. This conversation explores themes of personal transformation, the power of affirmations, the importance of community support, and the journey of advocacy for individuals with disabilities. L'Vonne McMillan shares her experiences of overcoming adversity, the significance of faith and prayer, and the impact of self-care practices. The discussion highlights the challenges faced by parents of children with special needs and emphasizes the importance of connection and support within the community. In this conversation, L'Vonne McMillan shares her journey as a mother of a child with disabilities, highlighting the challenges faced in navigating early childhood intervention systems, Medicaid, and the inequities in special education. She emphasizes the importance of advocacy, community support, and the need for systemic change to better serve families with special needs. Through her experiences, she illustrates the power of resilience, the significance of representation, and the necessity of finding purpose in advocacy work. L'Vonne encourages others to engage in policy change and to support one another in their journeys, ultimately fostering a more inclusive society for all children.

As a certified Mental Health First Aider and a devoted mother of three beautiful children, I am passionate about fostering wellness and resilience in both families and communities. With a heart for advocacy and a dedication to breaking stigmas, I provide compassionate support and guidance to those navigating mental health challenges. Balancing the joys of motherhood with my commitment to helping others, I strive to create safe, nurturing spaces where healing and growth can thrive. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/advocateforme2/support

Latoya Washington is an entrepreneur, psalmist, Author, and servant in the Kingdom of God. She is the co-owner of RhemaCreationz Christian Apparel and works with her husband David Washington. She is the host of “Broken Vessels Podcast and Author of “Broken Vessels: Letters to Abba & Concrete Rose: Secrete place in Abba. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/advocateforme2/support

Roz Talley sounds like an incredibly dynamic and impactful person! Her commitment to sharing the gospel, advocating for her child with special needs, and leading in both her community and professional spheres is truly inspiring. Balancing her roles as a mother, author, motivational speaker, police officer, and CEO of Real Change Communications, LLC must be both challenging and fulfilling. Check out our latest episode with Roz Talley on Advocate For Me Podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/advocateforme2/support

Marcus White is a writer, teacher, and entrepreneur based in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. He hails from a large close-knit family that frequently spends time together, instilling a deep compassion within him from a young age. Aside from writing, he's also passionate about educating students and positively impacting the lives of others. When he's not doing all of the above, Marcus enjoys reading, drawing, traveling, and spending quality time with God. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marcus-White/author/B0CK72YXM4 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144272950 Pinterest: https://pin.it/1Sy8jV7Bo Email: pursuepositivity247@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Jenny Nechvatal is an Early Childhood teacher; she holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood from Macquarie University. Her 30 years of experience in the Early Childhood sector and 21 years of lived experience parenting two children living with a disability led to her writing a book for early childhood educators. “Embracing Disability in Early Childhood - supporting children living with a disability and their families in Early Childhood Settings” addresses the reality of receiving a diagnosis. To change educators understanding of family's needs at such a time and the best way to engage and support them though conversation, pedagogy, and everyday practice. She lives with her family in Wagga New South Wales and has worked within numerous early childhood services before starting two businesses to support people living with a disability. Jenny has been a member of the Aspiring Leaders Forum, presented at the Riverina and the National Early Childhood Australia Conference in 2014. She contributed a chapter to “A Carers Journey, Stories from the Heart” in 2023. Jenny two businesses - Innovate Support Coordination (NDIS Registered Provider) and Innovative Disability Solutions. Jenny has established the Autism Families Thriving Membership for families worldwide, within the membership validation of their parenting skills, learning, connecting and sharing allows families to thrive. Jenny has been featured on podcasts, to provide others the opportunity to gain insight into the life of people living with a disability and their families. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Shana Francesca is a keynote speaker, consultant, and scholar of intentional and ethical leadership and living, Founder and CEO of Concinnate LLC. She believes we become infinitely more impactful as leaders and as humans when we understand the power of community and our role inside of it.  Knowing that an organization or family is a type of community and needs to be honored and cultivated as an ecosystem where every part and person must be honored and empowered. This transforms relationships, inspires creativity and innovation, and drives profitability.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Today we interview Laverne Cheeseboro on the Podcast. Laverne Cheeseboro is a wife, mother of two sons, and a trailblazer in the childcare industry. As the owner and director of Heavenly Made Creations Family Group childcare program, Laverne provides high-quality early childhood education and care for children and families.   In addition to her work in childcare, Laverne is also the founder of Heavenly Made Blessings, a non-profit organization that supports the quality of childcare programs and provides scholarships to help eligible families pay for childcare tuition. Laverne is also a co-founder of The Family Childcare Coalition, an organization for childcare providers, by childcare providers, serving the childcare community.   In August 2023, Laverne launched her first book, He Chose Me, a book that shares her journey to uncovering her worth and is a Co-Author of a book Anthology, The Other Side of the Storm, and Wives on Fire.   Laverne's passion for education and advocacy has made her a respected leader in the childcare community, and she continues to inspire and empower others through her work.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Kelly McAllister reopened We Rock the Spectrum - Northeast Philly in July 2021. It has been successfully open and serving the community for over a year now. Kelly has a degree in business and marketing that she earned from Penn State University. The vast majority of her experience has been in the hospitality and franchise industry for over 10 years. All of her work has revolved around the community and she believes that a strong focus on this is the key to successful relationship building. Her husband, Sean, was born and raised in the Parkwood neighborhood and most of their extended family still resides there as well. Kelly and Sean are extremely passionate about family and have three sons of their own: Logan (6), Jackson (3) and Cameron (1.5). Kelly frequently visited WRTS – Northeast Philly with her son Logan and felt that all children should have the opportunity to enjoy We Rock like he does. Having family members with special needs herself, Kelly has always wanted to find a way to pay it forward by owning a business with purpose. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Michele Abraham-Montgomery is a seasoned Family Peer Specialist providing self efficacy, empowerment, advocacy and resource information to families for over 20 years. She is the Co-Founder of Spectrum Success 911 alongside her son Khylil Robinson who is proudly working as a Community Autism Peer Specialist.  Spectrum Success 911 is a Nonprofit organization that supports families and individuals living with autism and mental health differences. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Alexandra Renée Poelstra is a speaker, consultant, and monsterprenuer known as THE MAVEN of ALL MAVEN, a small and mighty enterprise innovating bold and brilliant brands to shake up industries.She's been featured in various notable and award-winning publications and media, from Carlsbad's 40 under 40 and the Colorado Springs Business Journal to Gusto. She also spoke for Webflow's Virtual World Tour and ALL MAVEN was a Finalist for Innovator of the Year at Carlsbad's CBAD Awards. Known as THE MAVEN of ALL MAVEN, she dedicates herself to crafting bold and brilliant brands geared to shake up the industry. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Salina Miller, a recipient of the National Nurses Coalition's Unsung Heroes Award, is a visionary, a trailblazer, a philanthropist and the epitome of devotion. Her dedication to service is one of the qualities that draws people to her. Salina's passion for service emerged with the birth of her son Elijiah, who has multiple diagnoses, including autism. Her love for family and fervent desire to positively impact others' lives and advocate for individuals with special needs and their parents inspired her to create the service organization Mother 2 Mother in 2017 and dedicate her life to bringing education, empowerment and awareness to communities while providing support to special needs families. Salina is a loving mother to sons Elijiah, age 16, and Eric, age 20. She is happily married to her husband Robert and Salina enjoys reading, spending time with loved ones and traveling. Excerpt from her website- https://mother2mother.info --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Chanté Douglas is a single mother of an amazing child named Levi who also has autism. She is an accomplished children's book author, community activist and advocate for the autistic community. Over the years she has made it her mission to raise awareness for autism especially in the African American community.Her published works include The Adventures of EchoBoy and Abc Girl, Levi's World, Respect The Spectrum and My Life in Puzzle Pieces and Are You Okay? A Story by Echoboy. Also winning Book of the Year for 2021  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

We discuss the history of the Ronald McDonald House Charities with Mr. Anthony Stover who is the Community Relations Manager for the Philadelphia Region. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Jamilah F. Bashir, is a Senior Education Consultant in Philadelphia, PA. She has worked in the field of Special Education (Sped) for almost 20 years as a Special Education Educator and Special Education Supervisor. As someone who has many years of experience in the field of Sped, Jamilah brings a wealth of knowledge on how to best support schools and districts with their teachers and students with special needs. (excerpt from Bio) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Host- LVonne McMillan interviews Aisha Christa Atkinson from Texas about her journey with her son, Aries. How she became an educator, instructional coach, and advocate for families. Hear about her journey, her testimony, and how she is changing the world one family at a time. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Giving you an update that we are coming back live to the Podcast Show. Looking forward to it. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Advocate for Me brought the Fathers to the roundtable to hear their journey of having a child with different abilities such as Autism, Premature, and Feeding issues. Today's show is Eric Mitchell and Jeppea Smith as they share their journey of Fatherhood with a child with different abilities. It is rare that we hear the father's story as they discuss how they felt emotionally, physically, and how it changed their way of thinking when raising their child. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Elissa Frazier is a researcher and social impact edtech entrepreneur. She founded Navap as a career accelerator, mentorship community, and support hub for Black and Brown graduate students after seeing the gaps in career guidance and mentorship in her own experiences as a graduate student. She is a Mom of four fantastic kids, two of which are on the Autism Spectrum. And, she lives with her family in Chicago. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

What About Me is about a child named David who is entering into early childhood center for the first time. David is nervous and he does not know how to express himself verbally or emotionally. David learns to transition into an inclusive program with the help of a great team- his mom, his teacher, and the staff at the center. Listen to What About Me read by the Author L'Vonne McMillan on April 30, 2021 to bring awareness to Autism Awareness Month. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

As we celebrate Women's History Month, we are honoring women who are changing lives and communities through their business/es. They have turned a pain into purpose and are sharing their gifts with the world. We are pleased to have our guest Sherika Duncan is an author of five books who previously wrote her first novel, The Setup, which depicts the true essence of playing the cards that life has dealt in the face of adversity. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

As we celebrate Women's History Month, we are honoring women who are changing lives and communities through their business/es. They have turned a pain into purpose and are sharing their gifts with the world. Today's episode is with Sederia Brown has transformed her pain into power and advocacy for women through her own testimony. She is a mother of 2 boys, soon-to-be-wife, educator, motivational speaker and entrepreneur. She is the business owner of "Madam TechKnow LLC., bridging the technology gap for all generations. Sederia Brown is the author of “I'm Here” Empowering Children To Put An End To Bullying. In honor of the many children in 2018 who committed suicide in result of bullying incidents. Sederia was fueled to start her grassroots organization, The Know Bullying Coalition. She took her passion to advocate for the voiceless and to help children know they aren't invisible and supporting the community members around them. Through all of her adversity Sederia's personal mission in anything she touches is to inspire, educate and show people how to tap into their God given power! -- Ms. Brown Entrepreneur/Educator --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

For the month of March we will sit down with amazing Business Women that are trailblazing and changing and enhancing people lives. Today we sit down with Judith Dumorney-McDaniel as she shares how she started multiple businesses and the people that she is impacting in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Meet the Coaches- Holistic Healer- Lauren Danielle (Instagram- @souldivinevibes) Mental Clarity- Allison Gibbs (Instagram- @therapyconciergellc) FIT Mom- Staci Stills (Instagram- @fitmomstaci) Special Needs Mom/Advocate- L'Vonne McMillan (Instagram- @advocateforme_lmcmillan) Follow our Facebook Page- Advocate for Me, LLC 2 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Chante shares the importance of having an inclusive after school program in Philadelphia. Thank you Chante for sharing your story and the importance for Advocate for Me, LLC to have this after school program in the community. To learn more about Advocate for Me, LLC please click the link- https://linktr.ee/Advocateforme_lmcmillan To fund our program please go to the link and click campaign. (campaign ends January 17, 2021) Thank you for your support. L'Vonne McMillan Founder/CEO Advocate for Me, LLC --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Jamila shares her reasons for having an after school program in West Philadelphia. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Jamila shares the importance of having an inclusive after school program in Philadelphia. Thank you Jamila for sharing your story and the importance for Advocate for Me, LLC to have this after school program in the community. To learn more about Advocate for Me, LLC please click the link- https://linktr.ee/Advocateforme_lmcmillan To fund our program please go to the link and click campaign. (campaign ends January 17, 2021) Thank you for your support. L'Vonne McMillan Founder/CEO Advocate for Me, LLC --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Thomasina is a mother, educator, and community advocate for families. She is the CEO and Founder of Taahir's Village and Educator of Different Expectations Child Care. She is on a mission to get the word out to the community about autism and she is doing an amazing work for the Autism community. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Robert Selby is a full time father of a CHD warrior Chace Elijah. Together they help bring awareness with a positive spin to the CHD and G-tube community through social media in hopes to let people around the world know that they're never in a fight alone. They have been on Inside Edition, Good Morning Washington, Good Morning America, Today Show and local news to spread awareness and shine light on our cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Today we sit and talk with Philly Speech Therapist Ali Navia and learn some important tips and strategies about children with communication delays. Ali Navia is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist who provides speech and language therapy services to children and families throughout Philadelphia. Ali has experience working with all populations, from early intervention to skilled nursing facilities. Ali primarily works with toddlers and children with developmental language delays and various diagnoses. Ali is passionate about helping families optimize their child's ability to communicate. She enjoys creating individualized resources for each child's learning style and interests to make communication fun, meaningful and engaging.. She has a small private practice, Philly Speech & Language LLC. Ali is PROMPT-trained, PECS Level 1-trained and SOS feeding-trained. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

As a Father of an 12 year old who is on the Autism spectrum, Jamiel Owens is truly an advocate for his son Shayne and other Autism parents. "The Ausome show " has inspired Jamiel to take up his space as a dedicated father and activist through his interaction with others. The Ausome show has also paved the way for Jamiel's presence as an African-American father of a child with special needs to "speak up and speak out" to and from a perspective that is often silent. Raised in North Philadelphia, Jamiel has served his and other communities as law enforcement, civil servant, and is currently an volunteer firefighter in Hatfield, PA. Jamiel also believes and implements a religious foundation when speaking to other Fathers; he states "fathers' souls are the key to embracing and truly loving their "Ausome" child." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Social Worker, Denise Bennet is providing support and empowering families through transitions. She goes above and beyond her role as an Early Intervention Social Worker, she has started a Parent Support Group that meets every Tuesday to bring education and awareness to resources to the families. As the pivot in the pandemic, it has not discouraged them they are making ways to still meet as a group and continue to  support each other during these times.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

AUTISM ADVOCATE and PRESIDENT OF AUTISM REC talks about being a family oriented, finding her purpose and her faith to continue to advocate for the autism community. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

L'Vonne interviews the power couple Alexis and Eric Wood as they share their journey of advocating for their daughter and bringing awareness to the community- one paint brush and a family at  a time.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Chante shares her life experiences- a parent with a child on the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), dealing with trauma, advocating for her son, sharing her truth, and transparency of life challenges. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

In this episode we talk about our upcoming projects for the month of October and how we are moving forward during a pandemic to make sure we are getting the word out about Advocate for Me, LLC. We discuss how our families can come together and enjoy this time together before the world opens completely back up and how to adjust in the time that we are in. (game night, reading, dancing, etc). Enjoy your family, schedule enjoying time with them and keep loving each other. Be safe. Be Blessed. L'Vonne McMillan Founder/CEO Advocate for Me, LLC www.lmadvocateforme.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

Change your mindset of what you face as a challenge and overcome the challenge in being open to learn in a different way. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support

The reason why we started the podcast and what to expect in our upcoming episodes. Special shoutouts to our family and friends for supporting us in our projects. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lvonne-mcmillan/support