InvisiYouth Chat Sessions: A Video Podcast Series

It's number three in our new audio resource, InvisiYouth Chat Sessions: Audio Flash Files, and get ready for another boost of life advice and perspective that'll provide a new empowering tool you can tangibly incorporate into life for more success and joy.  This Audio Flash File gets us talking about how to make the most out of our relationships with people, specifically when you wanna vent about your life moments or get advice and you don't know who to go to first.  Let's be real, it might seem great to have a group of people like the TV show “Friends” in your corner share all your details and intermingle your communication, but it's not super realistic to have select group of people you can talk about everything in every way you want. And when you're chronically ill or disabled as a young person, you need that balance of “healthy/non-disabled” people along with fellow chronic illness/disability people in different circles in order to thrive in your chats and succeed in your life. And InvisiYouth's got the life technique to reframe your relationships, strengthen how you communicate, and let you look at your people as tree rings that don't need to intersect to be great.  Get ready to be a pro in your friendships and relationship because you don't need to rank your people to decipher their value. Stand in your power and have fun while you learn and grow as a young person on this quick podcast! SUBSCRIBE AND WATCH INVISIYOUTH CHAT SESSIONS: VIDEO PODCAST CHAT SHOW ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKaEltT9taGcK2TZ9KmhOw SUBSCRIBE to "InvisiYouth Chat Sessions" audio podcast on: APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series/id1388370205SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0XHN8GAcHfWMFM1V6o9vXcGOOGLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.google.com/search/invisiyouth%20chat%20sessions STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/show/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series SUPPORT INVISIYOUTH CHARITY SHOP! All our merchandise will be in subtle activism flare, so we can raise awareness without making loud statements! Plus, 100% of sales donated to InvisiYouth's FREE programs and resources! ETSY SHOP PAGE: https://www.etsy.com/shop/invisiyouthcharity PLEASE DONATE TO SUPPORT INVISIYOUTH'S PROGRAMS: https://www.invisiyouthcharity.com/donateFOLLOW US @invisiyouth:WEBSITETWITTERINSTAGRAMFACEBOOK 

How do you not get overwhelmed when you have a chronic illness/disability and work in the chronic illness/disability space? Well, it's easy to say “find some balance” and not know some tangible steps to do it, so we've got a podcast all about the tips and tricks to making sure work and play and personal life are not overwhelming. Our special guest has fused her professional life, health life and personal life within the chronic illness/disability community, its physical therapist, chronic illness mindset coach and content creator of Days with Dani Nicole, Dani Fusaro. Living with complex chronic illnesses and working to empower young people with chronic illnesses to live fulfilled, well-rounded lives, Dani has created a lane in work and life that can show people you can work and live in the same space. The Top Five Takeaways from the podcast are: At 2:55, join the podcast for “Path to Power” as Dani and Dominique talk about the ways you can separate mindsets between work and health life and the top six ways you can handle the moments of feeling like chronic illness/disability is a 24/7 part of your life in all aspects. At 19:50 it's GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT TIME!At 21:43, we're building a toolkit for life that's all about balance for the body and mind and you'll want to take all the notes. Learn all the work and health apps, scheduling products, go-to medical bags, and TikTok accounts to unplug or stay on task, and how Dominique and Dani both love color-coding and fiction stories. Intermission with STORY TIME is at 38:46 and Dani gets really about her physical therapy school years when an incident with a sticky mason jar may have been the catalyst to discovering her chronic illnesses. Second half of the podcast starts at 46:05 and gives you the advice on tackling imposter syndrome, how to do your best working in the chronic illness/disability space when your chronic illness/disability is taking a front row seat, and how you can disconnect to set boundaries when there's overload. And finally at 1:00:24, Dani answers the rapid-fire questions to learn about the expert like her favorite wedding dance song, best family game night, and a piece of advice to work with chronic illness/disability while living with one that will get you empowered to start. Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Dani @ dani_fusaro. And get one of our three exclusive SIGNED copies of the new paperback edition of Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O'Neal in our fundraiser book giveaway! Immediately entered when you donate ANY AMOUNT on our website by June 30th at www.invisiyouthcharity.com/donate. Please support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

Second addition to this new audio resource, InvisiYouth Chat Sessions: Audio Flash Files, and get ready for another boost of life advice and perspective that'll provide a new empowering tool you can practically incorporate into your life for more success and joy. This Audio Flash File is all about our mindset of how to share and tackle those life moments when you know you gotta share some details but also want to keep some privacy. Whether it's social media, jobs, classes, friends, dates, family gatherings or a random person in a store…we'll all get asked questions that make us feel we gotta share the details, especially if you're chronically ill or disabled young adult and those questions are about your health. And it's important to learn a quick tactic to decipher how much to share. We're teaching the independence of having flexible control when sharing your personals, and founder Dominique's gonna reveal our latest addition to #InvisiYouthGalaxyGlossary that'll get your mind flowing with ideas you can immediately implement the next time someone asks too much. Get ready to be a pro in those TMI moments with others and stand in your power, plus have fun while you learn and grow on this quick podcast! SUBSCRIBE AND WATCH INVISIYOUTH CHAT SESSIONS: VIDEO PODCAST CHAT SHOW ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKaEltT9taGcK2TZ9KmhOwSUBSCRIBE to "InvisiYouth Chat Sessions" audio podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, PlayerFM, Himalaya, Owltail, CastBox and Podtail.APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series/id1388370205SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0XHN8GAcHfWMFM1V6o9vXcGOOGLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.google.com/search/invisiyouth%20chat%20sessionsSTITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/show/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-seriesiHEART RADIO: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-invisiyouth-chat-se-29596540/PLAYERFM: https://player.fm/series/2384030HIMALAYA: https://www.himalaya.com/album/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series-338010OWLTAIL: https://www.owltail.com/podcast/xWjor-InvisiYouth-Chat-Sessions-A-Video-Podcast-Series/episodesCASTBOX: https://castbox.fm/channel/3935859?country=usPODTAIL: https://podtail.com/podcast/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series/ SUPPORT INVISIYOUTH CHARITY SHOP! All our merchandise wi

Drop into the world of books, and let's get storytelling as we chat with a book characters living with chronic illnesses while having their stories being authentically told by writers with chronic illnesses. The power of reading stories representing the diversity and humorous lives of young people is so valuable. Debut young adult fiction writer Kristen O'Neal and her novel Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses, tells the story of Priya, living with Lyme disease, and her virtual friends on Discord as she goes on her coming-of-age road trip to meet one of her virtual friends, Brigid, who might be more “teen wolf” than chronically ill. Kristen has a fresh and funny take on authentic well-rounded life with chronic illnesses and is passionate lives like hers living with two autoimmune disorders, should be told in all its facets. The Top Five Takeaways from the podcast are: At 4:14 let's dive deep into Kristen's author tactics, how she came up with the concept that werewolves really resonate with a chronic illness experience, and why many story arcs like fitting in during your youth resonate with the chronic illness character experience. At 23:34 Dominique and Kristen play around with “Life Tinder Challenge” and swipe left and right on different books to read, which fall into the “chronic illness troupes” and which books could make their protagonists the best characters with chronic illness/disability in a rewrite. STORY TIME at 42:02 Kristen tells us a story that explains why wearing a sparkly jumpsuit and using a paper bag at an airport can definitely complicate your life. At 46:13, the ladies jump to breaking the stereotypes and stigmas that you'll find when reading novels or absorbing media when it pertains to the perception of chronically ill/disabled young people. Kristen talks about the value of authentic storytellers being behind the books, and the benefits of having more diversity in books for young adult readers so they can get representation in the stories they read and full lives they live. End the podcast 1:00:24, we go through a rapid-fire of questions to learn all about Kristen like what's her favorite way to spend the day, if she handwrites or types her books and her best advice for young people with chronic illness wanting to be writers. WIN A SIGNED COPY of the new paperback edition of Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses in our fundraiser book giveaway (we'll have three winners)! Immediately entered when you donate ANY AMOUNT on our website by June 30th at www.invisiyouthcharity.com/donate. Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Kristen @discountgoblin and Tumblr https://kristenoneal.tumblr.com/. Please support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

In the premiere episode from the newest audio resource from InvisiYouth Charity, InvisiYouth Chat Sessions: Audio Flash Files, we're giving you a monthly boosts of life advice and perspectives that'll provide empowering tools you can practically incorporate into your life for more success and joy. AND we'll be doing it in 20 minutes or less, so you can get the boost and go on with your days for all of the “medically adult-ish™” young people. Today's Audio Flash File is all about our practice of choosing daily serenity of chasing happiness! We know, a life improvement and empowerment nonprofit stating they're not advocates for optimal happiness, shocking! But our methodology of why a state of serenity is the most practical and beneficial mindset to have is revealed. Along with the steps of how you can find your personal style of serenity, host (and founder of InvisiYouth Charity) Dominique will give you the latest addition to our #InvisiYouthGalaxyGlossary, and how this theory can become a game-changer in your daily life. Get ready to choose daily serenity over happiness like hundreds of other young people at InvisiYouth Charity, and have some laughs with Dominique while you're empowered along the way! SUBSCRIBE AND WATCH INVISIYOUTH CHAT SESSIONS: VIDEO PODCAST CHAT SHOW ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKaEltT9taGcK2TZ9KmhOwSUBSCRIBE to "InvisiYouth Chat Sessions" audio podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, PlayerFM, Himalaya, Owltail, CastBox and Podtail.APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series/id1388370205 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0XHN8GAcHfWMFM1V6o9vXc GOOGLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.google.com/search/invisiyouth%20chat%20sessions STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/show/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series iHEART RADIO: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-invisiyouth-chat-se-29596540/ PLAYERFM: https://player.fm/series/2384030 HIMALAYA: https://www.himalaya.com/album/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series-338010 OWLTAIL: https://www.owltail.com/podcast/xWjor-InvisiYouth-Chat-Sessions-A-Video-Podcast-Series/episodes CASTBOX: https://castbox.fm/channel/3935859?country=us PODTAIL: https://podtail.com/podcast/invisiyouth-chat-sessions-a-video-podcast-series/  SUPPORT INVISIYOUTH CHARITY SHOP! All

Class is in session, but it's a lesson you'll never want to end because we have double trouble leading the show. It's an episode dedication to education, and how young people with chronic illness/disability can get all the academic support, modifications, accommodations and empowerment they need to thrive in any level of academia they choose. Being in school and living with chronic illness/disability is a major portion of time in life, so getting all the inner secrets and tips to make your school years enjoyable and successful is crucial. And our special guest is not only an expert on academic accessibility and advocacy, but she's also founder Dominique's older sister, Erica-Lee Viel DeSimone. Being a special education teacher for over nine years, Erica's passion has been giving students tools, individualized advocacy skills and support to excel in their education. She's even been an education advocate for young people with disabilities and illnesses from elementary through university years, taking her advocacy to social media with her co-founded platform Special Space in Our Heart. The Top Five Takeaways from the podcast are: At 3:56, get all your questions answered in “Top Search” when Erica explains the basic levels of accommodations and adaptions that you can get in school, the reason you need to research one particular topic, and why university academic support allows your independence to shine when you utilize it. At 22:22, the sisters get chatting about handling talks with teachers when you need support because your illness/disability is impacting the school days and work. And Erica explains her top four ways you can try communicating with your teachers when you need some modifications to achieve success, from extended deadlines, physical needs supports and more, PLUS, while emailing teachers early helps you in the long run. Intermission Story Time at 40:02, Erica brings up a story from her childhood, about how positive reinforcement got Dominique to go from a basketball wallflower to a major shooter…and made Erica's childhood allowance go down quite a bit. Second half starts at 43:10, when Dominique and Erica talk about how social side of being in school can impact when young people will utilize their accommodations and supports. We tackle how to handle classmates making comments about her medical equipment or modifications, Erica gives the different ‘response personas' you can take when people ask questions, and they discuss how asking for different tips on privacy with your teachers ahead of classes can actually curb the social strains. Final segment at 58:01 is a blast of fun as the Viel sisters answer questions about each other, and you'll learn why they have very different dance styles, and a favorite sister memory. Let's make going to school and university enjoyable and not another task we gotta accommodate. Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Erica-Lee @specialspaceinourheart. Please check out the InvisiYouth Charity Shop to buy yourself or someone you care about our limited edition Subtle Activist Color Block bracelet on www.etsy.com/shop/invisiyouthcharity with free shipping globally, and please support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

Season Four officially begins with a major refresh and incredible lineup of special guest experts on topics to empower your life the way you want. This episode is all about self-care…and not the façade of Insta-worthy self-care but real, authentic and attainable self-care that can adapt to your daily routine. And this is a major asset when you live with chronic illness/disability/mental health because self-care can bring pride and balance into life. Our special guest, creator of the platform Bun Undone and Self-Care Society, Morgan Raphael, is a specialist on advising others on authentic self-care you can maintain that's focused on instilling inner confidence for your wellness journey. This podcast episode feels like a fun chat with friends that's full of the widest range of self-care practices and changing your mindset for the better. The Top Five Takeaways from the podcast are: At 4:51, Dominique and Morgan break down all the stigmas around the self-care we see (and can be intimidated by) on social media and give you their insider tips on how to authentically add self-care practices that you'll individually enjoy in your routine. Plus, Morgan explains how her work gives five hot tips that'll impact the way you view self-care! At 27:16, it's toolkit-building time as you'll learn creative self-care practices for the extroverts, the social butterflies, the inner reflection lovers, and the cozy homebodies, while also sharing how to take self-care from indulgence to a five minute hack (and perhaps why a shower meditation or soundtrack with your morning coffee will be added to your routine). With Intermission Story Time at 43:01, Morgan gets deep about the origin story behind Bun Undone and Self-Care Society, and how breakups actually fueled two major life perspective and career upgrades she's thankful for. Second half at 50:51 is all about the life hacks as Dominique and Morgan dish out the benefits of what InvisiYouth defines as passive and active self-care (plus their mutual love of subtitles is revealed!) and how journaling isn't just a niche tool of self-care, but a tool that has variety, flexibility and lets you feel proud of your documented life evolution. Final rapid roundup at 1:09:32 let's up get to know our guest Morgan better with her life superlatives, like the unique reason she's most likely to travel to Bali, how she's most likely to spend her Friday nights, best Instagram style post and best piece of life advice.Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Morgan @bun_undone and @selfcaresociety_. And exclusive promo code INVISIYOUTH for 10% off all Morgan's e-books and journals at www.bunundonescs.com. Please check out the InvisiYouth Charity Shop to buy yourself or someone you care about our limited edition Subtle Activist Color Block bracelet on www.etsy.com/shop/invisiyouthcharity with free shipping globally, and please support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

Let's get back outdoors, go exploring, and improving our sustainability for the environment. These are bolder-sized topics to tackle, and especially for those of us in the chronic illness/disability community, the concepts of adventuring outdoors or being an environmentalist can be complicated by our health struggles. But the truest fact is that exploring outdoors and being part of supporting the environment are experiences everyone with a chronic illness or disability should be able to have in life. Our guest, Kelcie Miller-Anderson, is a Canadian environmental scientist and disability outdoor adventuring specialist. Her complex chronic illnesses like Mitochondrial Disease, EDS and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome affect every aspect of her life, but her passion for science has maintained as she's adapted with innovation. She's founded two companies, MycoRemedy and Bumblechain, both aiding different aspects of the environment, and runs the popular Instagram account, The Chronic Explorer, showcasing how her treks outdoors with awesome mobility aids.Check out these five fun segments:At 4:00, we've got Five Second Challenge as Kelcie rapidly let's off fun facts about herself, like her favorite science word to use, why Canada is truly a tourist's dream, and why Kelcie might have a love-hate relationship with winter.At 10:05, get chatting about all things science, sustainability and innovation…but make it disability and chronic illness-friendly. Kelcie dives into her multi-year long career as an environmental scientist, explaining how her brother impacted her love of science, what are the intersections of sustainability and disability we can tap into so helping the environment can be accessible, and the innovative ways we can all get more knowledgeable on helping the planet.STORY TIME at 31:05 takes us on an epic story of humor and realness of a time Kelcie was a young leader in London dealing with hectic travel and a unique introduction with Sir Richard Branson and her wheelchair. Second half takes us on an adventure at 36:48 when Kelcie and Dominique give all the needed facts and advice to make nature and adventuring accessible and friendly no matter your experience level, and how to make outdoor activists affordable and fun with mobility aids. And hang in for our final segment at 52:15, building a playlist for adding spice of innovation, outdoor activities and sustainability into your life. With the best accessible travel apps, great outdoor adventuring hashtags, and documentaries/books to check out, Kelcie also digs into the multifaceted power of the IG Geo-Tag and you WILL BLOW YOUR MIND getting this tip! Let's get outdoors accessible and safely with some fun to lead into 2022! Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Kelcie @thechronic_explorer. Please check out the InvisiYouth Charity Shop to buy yourself or someone you care about our limited edition Subtle Activist Color Block bracelet on www.etsy.com/shop/invisiyouthcharity with free shipping globally, and please support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

Taboo topics are hard to talk about because it brings up nerves, pain and discomfort, and one topic in particular that doesn't get talked about much is grief, bereavement and death. Especially for young adults, talking about the concept of grief can feel intimidating and ominous, but when you have a chronic illness, it can become part of our personal and social conversations. It's important to not just normalize talking about how to grieve, but also building that relationship with talking about death and health. Someone breaking down the stigmas around grief is the founder and host of the popular, The Grief Gang Podcast, Amber Jeffery. After losing her mom unexpectedly at 19, Amber was thrust into grief, but her journey stemmed beyond personal and wanting to connect with others, thus creating her successful podcast. Now Amber's goal is to remind everyone how grief and happiness can coexist. Check out the episode five hot sections: At 5:02, get to know Amber outside the podcast host as she reveals what she loves most about travelling to Thailand, why she got nostalgic at an arcade, and how long ago it was when Amber went deviceless. At 15:22, bringing back a fan favorite segment of “Life Tinder Challenge” as Amber and Dominique gave their hot takes, and quick advice on grief topics like buying floral arrangement or condolence cards, and how they truly feel about the concepts of ‘grieving being a phase.' They have some major opinions that'll spark some thoughts and lots of laughs, trust us! And STORY TIME INTERMISSION starts at 39:22, Amber shares her story about a moment from her mom's funeral that she says only 19-year old Amber would react like, and it's filled with the range of sadness, anger and laughter that comes from these moments of grief. It's a realness when you can look back and laugh at times of sadness. Second half starts at 48:10 when Amber and Dominique break all the glass ceilings about grief and death, sharing what makes young adult bereavement different, tips on talking about your grief and supporting friends, and the major ways young people with chronic illness can work through their fears and compartmentalize when death hits close to home. And we cannot wrap up this jam-packed episode without giving you the ultimate grief guide at 1:12:23 to feel supported and successful in handling grief. They chat what's the best times of bereavement therapy (and no, it's not one-on-one counseling), favorite books and charities to utilize, and the best phrases to avoid AND use when you don't know what to say when someone passes away. Just like life, this episode is filled with chatting about grief and having fun times while doing it, learning how to live with both feelings at once, and you'll learn so much while listening to this episode, promise. Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Amber @amber_jeffery, her podcast @thegriefgangpodcast. Thank you to our charitable sponsor Tee Spoonies for partnering for this episode (and visit @teespoonies to buy their products that donate directly to InvisiYouth), and please support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

It's all about your deep, burning questions today as we have founder and podcast host Dominique lead her very first solo episode!  And in Dominique's signature sarcastically optimistic style, she brings the heat when answering all questions so you'll have advice to interpret into your daily living growing and thriving with your chronic illness or disability. With a plethora of questions and topics anonymously submitted from the InvisiYouth community, Dominique had never seen any of the questions before reading them aloud (with some mega-shock reactions, you'll laugh out loud) this is the podcast episode to dive deep into those burning questions you never wanna ask. In this episode, Dominique answers some rapid-fire questions about herself so we can finally learn some more about the woman behind the mic hosting the podcast. And you'll learn all about her quirky nicknames, guilty pleasures, what else she wished she majored in university, dream podcast guests and favorite childhood costumes! When class comes into session, Dominique teaches practical life-improving advice sharing our staple InvisiYouth Theories! You'll learn how to be the best communicator, improve your outlook on health flare ups, get better results from doctor visits, and have some fun in your days by each InvisiYouth theory Dominique teaches. This is a class session you don't wanna miss. And with STORY TIME being focused on Dominique, we get some laughs when Dominique talks about her secret university life, and how one hospital bracelet led to an entire lecture hall learning about her secret chronic illness/public speaking life. Second half of the episode is all about YOU and your submitted questions that are some of the funniest, most intriguing, and most personal questions. And with Dominique having no preview, all her reactions are fresh and humorous.  She's chatting about aliens (yes, you read that correctly), the reason society feels inclined for the chronic illness/disability community to smile often, what kind of DETAILED ice cream flavor would be the best representation of Dominique, her appreciation of safe words (and no, it's not the kind you're thinking, trust us), our stance of ‘superficial' struggles of living with health issues, her best tip for newbie entrepreneurs, and why she'd describe her chronic illness life like a circus. And she ends off with Dominique piece of advice on how you thrive when you are teammates and not competitors with our chronic illness/disability. This episode is super funny, impactful, teachable and quirky, so you'll love every minute. And SPOILER: you get TWO sneak peek announcements about InvisiYouth 2.0 programming.  Please like, comment and share this episode by making sure you DOWNLOAD and SUBSCRIBE. AND support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

Win the gold medal, it's the Olympic and Paralympic season and we're celebrating our appreciation for sports, and the power of para-sports by having two special guests that have been athletes at the Paralympic Games. Talk about getting elite athletes that are competing for medals in Tokyo 2020! Say hello to Team Great Britain's returning Track and Field athletes, Polly Maton and Livvy Breen. Both Polly and Livvy are para-sprinters and long jumpers (competing in different categories) and were introduced to sports at a young age. Their talents combined with determined hard work have made both of these ladies forces in the track and field community, both winning medals in international competitions and both being on Team GB's Paralympic teams in Rio 2016 with Livvy also being on the London 2012 Paralympic team too! With these ladies being teammates and friends for many years, travelling the world competing in para-athletics and thriving, this episode feels like you're hanging out with three friends laughing and giving advice. In this episode, Dominique, Polly and Livvy bring the humor as they answer our rapid fire questions, like why the Team GB Paralympic gear needed to have that bucket hat for Polly, and what other sport Livvy would love to compete in. We get our journalist hats on with our “Medical Pop Headlines” Paralympics News Edition segment as these Paralympians and Dominique give their hot takes on some of the biggest news stories, like the discussion of athletes' mental health needs after Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka bring mental wellbeing to light in Tokyo 2020, their thoughts on combining the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris 2024, and how female athletes' uniforms got way to much scrutiny this summer—including Livvy's uniform briefs. We hit the middle of our episode with TWICE the Story Time with our guests about competing at the Paralympic Games. Polly remembers how she may not have been invited to an Olympic/Paralympic party at her school when she returned from Rio 2016. And Livvy talks about when she was the leader in the 4x100 relay at her first games in London 2012---and how it felt to have a full stadium and 300 classmates cheering in the stands.  Second half of this episode will give everyone life advice, humor and example stories for those wanting to get active with a chronic illness/disability. Livvy and Polly talk about how sport has boosted their confidence as they've grown into young women with their respective chronic illness/disability, and what are the different options YOU can take if you're wanting to try a new sport for the first time with your chronic illness/disability. They chat on why doing your Google homework on how other young people have played sports with disabilities/chronic illnesses will give you the advantage in getting to join school sport teams or clubs. And we give our thoughts on how to reply when you're told you're “inspirational and brave” for nothing but existing in your sport uniform. We end the episode with a burst of energy as these Paralympians drop some major nuggets of motivation. Learn how to combat stigmas of what doing “sports with a disability/illness” looks like, why these para-athletes make the BEST Instagram follows, how failure is the best thing to happen to you, give the details on why your relationship with your body strengthens through sports, and why you are just as capable as anyone to do sports.  Polly and Livvy are reminding you in this podcast that you can do ANYTHING as long as positivity, humor, hard work and teamwork are attributes of your sporting experiences, from your backyard to the world stage. We're cheering on these two elite para-athletes for gold medals in Tokyo 2020 and we hope you give this episode cheers too!  Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Polly @polly_maton and Livvy @livvy_breen, and support the Paralympics by watching the games/fo

Sister, Sister! We have a majorly special episode because the super fun Heringer sisters (Rachel and Abigail) are in the house for their first ever joint interview! Many will remember Abigail from the  popular TV show The Bachelor for Season 25/Matt James (and upcoming Season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise) and she was also the first deaf/cochlear implants contestant on the franchise's almost two decades on TV! Talk about bringing some much needed representation! And her biggest cheerleader, older sister Rachel, who also has cochlear implants, is an equally talented young woman crushing it in her work with commercial insurance in the Pacific Northwest. This dynamic duo brings the fun and upbeat energy for the entire episode, and we chat not only about Abigail's Bachelor experience, but also about sibling dynamics (since there are actually four Heringer siblings) and they drop advice and encouragement that we know all of you with siblings will immediately resonate with.  In this episode, Dominique, Rachel and Abigail give out their “Illest Superlatives” to each other, like Rachel planning what group date activity Abigail would've won the group date rose on, and Abigail knowing which reality show Rachel would do well on, and the sisters sharing their most proud sister moments.  Abigail shares some great advice she got from Rachel that she thought of during her time on The Bachelor and what compelled her to share about her hearing loss and Rachel's powerful older sibling influence on night one.  The Heringer sisters give great pieces of advice they've learned from not only their dynamic as sisters with the same invisible disability, but also how they nurture their relationships with their two younger brothers, and it's some great tips for all of us with an illness/disability trying to connect with our siblings without the same conditions. Spoiler: the three ladies all agree that a group chat with siblings is a perfect way to strengthen your bond to share your needs while also having fun with your siblings when you send good memes and videos.  And we get two doses of  STORY-TIME with our intermission segment because Rachel shares her experience watching Abigail graduate from university and feeling all the big sister feels, and Abigail shares a funny story from her elementary school days that involves a lost cochlear implant and one hysterical misunderstanding with a panicked classmate! Part Two of the podcast picks up the pace as the Heringer sisters share some of their life hacks, like all their must-haves for others with CIs, what their de-stressors are like some certain Netflix genres, good snacks, and in Rachel's case, quality time with her adorable corgi Louie! And Rachel and Abigail give their different perspectives on how to feel more confident when your health or disability can sometimes make you feel lost in group settings.  Just like two siblings are not alike, we have Abigail and Rachel give their different pieces of advice about working in careers NOT connected with chronic illness/disability and how to adapt and speak up for what you need. Plus, the inside scoop on how Abigail's appearance on The Bachelor was how Rachel's colleagues learned about her own hearing loss!  Abigail also talks about how to handle the pressures of outside opinions on living life and not conforming to the stereotype of a ‘disabled person' and while we all might not have 500k followers, Abigail gives so great guidance you can use!  And we end the episode with our ‘One More Piece of Advice” with both Rachel and Abigail telling us one piece of advice that really resonated with them as young women with invisible disabilities.  We're officially welcoming the Heringer sisters into the InvisiYouth family, and we know you'll adopt them too after checking out t

Log in for the a deep dive into reaping all the benefits of insider tips of online community! A first introduction into support as a young adult with chronic illness/disability often means using social media or nonprofits as a way to connect with others that are living similar health struggle experiences. But let's be real, as we are teens and young adults, making friendships and bonds virtually can feel as awkward as a blind date, and we've got no handbook on how to master people an individual wanting a support network that gets it…until now. That's what InvisiYouth's platform is all about, and we've got a special guest on this episode that also specializes in authentic support online, the founder of the media/events company and online community ChroniCon, Nitika Chopra! Living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis along with her wide career in TV, her online magazine and podcasting, Nitika believes wellness and empowerment can be fused together when part of a community, and now her company provides workshops and content focused on support. In this episode, Dominique and Nitika get to chat about Nitika's go-to karaoke song, the one thing she wish she invented and why Nitika's first job only lasted a couple days. They dive into the reasons online community should be recommended to every older youth with a chronic illness/disability, what initial steps all you introverts can make into virtual friendships and comradery (any why the online dating mindset is the way to go) and their top three tips for family/friends that wanna have supportive conversations that aren't all focused on your health. And our intermission “So That One Time” storytime is all about Nitika's journey dreaming up for goal of a TV show becoming a reality. And she may give the best episode quote about how her and Dominique are chronic illness ninjas, and you can be one too! Part Two of InvisiYouth Chat Sessions gets deep with advice and fun motivation as Dominique and Nitika explain the how-to's with combatting loneliness that sometimes follows you relying on virtual community, the best way to handle the cycle of pessimism or complaining that can fill online chronic illness communities, and their pieces of advice to break through that bogged down feeling on social media when you need some selfcare in a world all focused on virtual. And InvisiYouth's ‘fly on a wall theory' is discussed and we know you'll want to add it to the backburner when following new people on Instagram. We got you in the ways you can DM slide, how to make a comment, and how to feel safe and comfortable on your socials when wanting to interact with new people in chronic illness/disability communities. And we end off the episode with these ladies making their life toolkit that you will be taking notes on 100% because it will improve your daily life. You'll learn what you've gotta had to your bag, a favorite item to make your home office cozy, the fashionable clothes that will boost your confidence in flares, the must-have travel size item, and the books that they are reading lately. We're ready to make you the best version of your passive or active social media-self. Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Nitika @nitikachopra and ChroniCon @chroniconofficial and support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

We love a good dog video on our Instagram feed, but when we see a service dog video, our love and intrigue is immediately peaked. And that's because service dogs and their handlers are a group mainstream media doesn't often share… especially for our young adult community. Over the years, we've gotten countless messages asking about service and therapy dogs as part of improving the quality of one's chronic illness or disability life, and it's one of the most requested podcast topics. So we're FINALLY doing an episode all about this dog community, it's with special guest invisible disabilities and service dog activist Bri Harris and her medic alert service dog Arrow! With her own dynamic chronic illnesses, Bri having dog Arrow improved her quality of life with Arrow's individualized tasks for assistance. And with her fast-growing Instagram showing the daily life of service dogs, educating on the most common misconceptions, and sharing a behind the scenes of service dog life with Arrow, Bri proves that service dogs strengthen life immensely… and that Arrow is a model service dog AND model-status photogenic. On this episode, Bri and Dominique (with the help of Arrow too!) get to know more fun facts about Bri and Arrow's like all about Arrow's wonderful reintroduction to the movie theater since the pandemic started and how she's not gonna fall for a jump-scare horror movie, and get the facts straight with our “Top Search” segment when Bri answers the most frequent questions about service dogs like why there's no national registration program, how people should respond to seeing a service dog (and yes, that includes no petting!), what it means when a service dog is working and performing a task, and what the main difference is between emotional support animals, therapy dogs and service dogs. And those three differences are CRUCIAL to understanding the relationship between dog and handler! STORY TIME gets real funny as Bri tells an embarrassing moment she's gained confidence sharing that involves waiting in a car line to enter Disneyland, Arrow's epic speed running skills and public bathrooms. Second half of InvisiYouth Chat Sessions amps up the funny with so many life stories of founder Dominique experiences, and Bri after living with Arrow for four years. She tells her top two pieces of advice for those with service dogs or looking to get/train one so they can thrive in the professional setting, soar with success in their schooling life—know your accommodations, people!—and how having supportive friends and family means giving them KNOWLEDGE on service dogs so they can back you up in public. And we end the podcast with Bri and Arrow's Life Playlist on the must-have items when you have a dog or service dog. It includes the papers you should definitely carry which differs per state/country, best harnesses, the best items to add to your bag like Bri's “Arrow Pouch” and these gadgets are affordable, cute AND functional for your furry companion and service dog.  Bri is a guest not just packed with knowledge, but super fun AND Arrow makes her podcast debut with InvisiYouth and certainly ends the podcast with a much-watch moment! Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Bri and Arrow @followyourarrow_gsp, and support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

Being multifaceted in your professional and personal life AND having balance for both, especially in today's world where you want to be your authentic self but virtually connect. And our special guest is an absolute boss when it comes to creating your lane in every aspect that fuels your fire, it's the incredible chronic illness activist, content creator, editor, writer, model and all-around boss woman, Devri Velázquez! In 2011, Devri was diagnosed with a rare disease called Takayasu's arteritis and she used her talents of writing and advocacy work to create a professional resume that rivals many for its diversity and skill. With her unique platform empowering others to create positive changes across communities of gender, race and identity, Devri has written for brands like Allure and 21Ninety.com and been a panelist of health summits. Now with over 96k followers, Devri is the queen of sharing how writing and visuals can empower women to focus on their individual wellness, activism in daily life, and inner powers. In this episode, Devri and Dominique fire off some quick takes about Devri's favorite things like her favorite TikTok trend, how she starts and ends her day with two of the COOLEST things in her routine, and a guilty pleasure she has not shame sharing. Then the duo dives deep and gets real breaking the glass ceiling on misconceptions the diverse chronic illness/disability community deals with—like how to navigate social media while touching on topics of racial and gender inequality, and ways to be a person that advocates for MANY communities because that makes you a passionate badass. Allyship becomes a major chatting point as Devri mentions not only the starting points you can add to be an ally for underrepresented communities, but also how to amplify voices of those in communities like the BIPOC and AAPI communities, because as Dominique points out, being proactive and reactive are two different ways of advocating for change but two very needed styles of allyship! STORY TIME for our Intermission Segment gets a bit spooky and sentimental as Devri tells us about how her love of horror stories resulted in her creating a childhood side hustle that led her down the path as a professional writer today. Get your notepad ready for the second half of the episode because Devri and Dominique create the guidebook of how to be an entrepreneur and be a successful one as your creator and manager, every tip to make your social media a focal point like writing that best caption or taking that perfect photo, and lots of advice of how to create wellness and boundaries to protect your mind and health. Probably the best advice comes from our super uplifting conversation at the end of the episode when Devri mentions how to respond to those social hot button questions about things like racial ignorance, gender inequality and ableism and how to boost your confidence to NEVER be silence when you feel fearful of ‘saying the wrong thing.' They even talk about how ignorance isn't a bad word because that means you can STILL grow and learn from what you don't know. And Devri's BEST piece of advice is so empowering, so powerful, you will want to stick to the end of the episode. Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Devri @devrivelazquez, and support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

Being just as elegant and passionate on the dance floor as she is in her philanthropy and activism, our video podcast guest is an unbelievable talent. Founder of the UK nonprofit Project Parent, wheelchair ballerina, model and disability activist, Kate Stanforth. Living with ME and other chronic illnesses, Kate had to adapt to make her life accessible, especially when she began needing a wheelchair. Her chronic illness journey helped her create Project Parent in 2014, delivering over 1,500 holiday gifts to parents with children in hospital. And this year, she launched Kate Stanforth Academy of Dance by fusing her past experience as a classical dancer and now teaching wheelchair dance with inclusive classes and its first set of classes SOLD OUT. In this episode, Dominique and Kate give their hot takes on hot button topics like TikTok and the social media like buttons in our “Life Tinder Challenge” segment, and you’ll be surprised at some of their answers. And the ladies dive deep into their conversation on philanthropy, getting into volunteering, and what makes running a nonprofit so different from a business. They have ideas of boosting your virtual volunteer opportunities and how your hobbies can be a key to fundraising for many nonprofits like Project Parent and InvisiYouth. We get to our intermission, halfway point of the podcast when Kate tells a life story that’s about two things: Kate’s loveable assistance dog Spencer and his fascination with walking up to a particular group of people when they got out. And in the second half of the episode, Kate talks about dance, wheelchair dance styles, how she was able to take a passion “pre-chronic illness life” of dancing and bring it full circle AND adapt it to fit into her new way of life. We get major details about why we all can use a bit of dance in our lives, and how using virtual connection can get up out of our comfort zones to try new things. Plus, our final segment of this episode is a masterclass on activism, fighting off haters, tackling disability hate and the ways you can get support for those negative situations and comments, and the top two things Kate and Dominique suggest you do to build more independence in your life when you need support. This is the BEST piece of advice for our older youth, so take note! Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Kate @katestanforth, her nonprofit @projectparent and her dance academy @katestanforthdance to get access to her amazing work, thank you to our charitable sponsor Tandem Podcasts for partnering for this episode, and please support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

As we start Season 3B, we’re kicking off our monthly video podcast series with one of the chronic illness/disability community’s favorite rising stars on social media, it’s the creator and graphic designer behind the popular brand @thisthingtheycallrecovery, Jenny McGibbon. Based in Scotland, Jenny used her diverse health experience being born with gastroschisis and short bowel syndrome along with M.E. to connect her love of art with her desire to make the medical space connect better with young people like her. Now, Jenny’s brand, This Thing They Call Recovery has graphics being translated into 50 language in 90 countries, talk about taking on the world one creative graphic design at a time! In this episode, Dominique and Jenny talk about how chronic illness makes you pick practical superhero powers and why Jenny’s latest binge-watch TV show was a completely unique answer, chat about the role that are and design played in her health journey and why @thisthingtheycallrecovery was a happy accident that created her self-employed graphic designer career. The ladies dive deep into how you can stay private and be part of the chronic illness community online, and why you gotta water that curiosity to divide your life and personal activism. And Jenny explains why art, graphics and captions let you communicate with others, gain support and advice all while not sharing every bit of her journey. We stan good tips on how to respond to those comments (in life and in DMs) when people don’t agree with your choices and chronic illness/disability POVs and these ladies give MAJOR tips! Intermission Story Time is epic because who knew that dogs were the most adaptive furry best friends—and we might want to adapt Jenny’s dog as an InvisiYouth mascot after her story! Dive right into the second half of the episode as Dominique and Jenny talk about all the behind the scenes goodies of some of Jenny’s viral graphic designs and how they were created. Plus, we end this podcast episode with the best toolkit to get all your work-from-home and graphic designer needs met! Jenny and Dominique talk about graphic designing software, how to make captions, what you can do to make your workstation anywhere in your home automatically improve your mood and productivity, and why they both love a power hour! Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Jenny @thisthingtheycallrecovery and her graphic design brand, and support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ending 2020 with motivation, self-love, and excitement for the year ahead? Yes, please! And there is no one better suited to empowering you to seek greatness and improve your fitness than our special guest, Ultra-Endurance athlete, cystic fibrosis activist and online fitness coach, Sophie Grace Holmes. Living with CF since she was four months old, Sophie has been told all about what might be limitations she’ll experience in life, but that only ignited Sophie to create a life for herself where she’s pushing beyond limits. Sophie’s competitive and athletic nature carved a lane for herself in the fitness community, now having climbed Kilimanjaro, competed in Iron Man competitions, created her own online fitness coaching business and fitness app. In this episode, Dominique and Sophie, get to know Sophie’s life highlights in our segment “Illest Superlatives” like her love of being part of the Under Armor team and her funniest quarantine fitness memory being when her marine neighbor surprised her during her IG Live fitness class. And you better get ready for Sophie’s motivational chat all about the ways she strengthens her fitness, both physically and mentally, every day. We chat all about “workout anxiety” and ways you can combat your nerves, how recognizing mental blocks is the first step in defeating them, and how your chronic illness/disability should never be viewed as a hinderance but rather part of the way you can achieve goals. Life Tip: if you seek adventure in even the little daily tasks like getting ready in the morning and answering an email, your lens for life is infinitely positive and more successful. Story time with Sophie is as epic as our guest because she talks about the life-changing experience raising money for cystic fibrosis by paddle boarding to the Bahamas—and there may be some friendly sharks and a missing passport along the way. Plus, you gotta stick around for the second half of the podcast because Sophie and Dominique drop some SERIOUS TIPS for your life and improved fitness. Sophie rapid fires must-have items to get you active and reaping all the benefits of fitness in our “What’s Your Life Playlist” segment like her must-have inexpensive fitness gear, starter workouts that are safe and adaptive, her healthier snack ideas for all of us now working from home, AND all the great things you can get from Sophie’s fitness app like downloadable workouts and grocery list ideas. We end this episode with expert Sophie answering our fitness questions that any person would want answers. She’s explaining how to element disappointment as a reaction from not reaching our goals both in workouts and daily life, how failure and achievement are two things she equally loves happening because you grow from both, the reason you can benefit from trialing different activities to see what you enjoy, how an added minute each day will boost your fitness AND mood, and Sophie’s top three things she recommends you do each day for a bit more motivation and joy leading into 2021…and they are so easy to add TODAY. Talk about seeking challenges in everyday life, and we know this podcast is packed with so much energy, you’ll enjoy every minute. Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Sophie @sophiegraceholmes and her app, and support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hiatus no longer! After eight long months of no new video podcast episodes, we are FINALLY back with a new InvisiYouth Chat Sessions, and host Dominique is so hyped up to be back! We don’t need yet another reminder of the chaos from this COVID19 pandemic, so we are not gonna bring any more stress into your lives and chat about that on our podcast. Instead, we are going to do what we do best at InvisiYouth: bring you laughs, motivation and lifestyle tips so you can kickass at life, even during challenging times like these. Our first guest is a familiar face to our InvisiYouth Charity family because she was also part of our miniseries from our video podcasting hiatus over on our IG Live, InvisiYouth’s Quarantine Coffee Break, it’s the founder of wellness brand and podcast, Plenty and Well, Nat Kelley. With a powerful social media following, Nat has been able to connect with other young women in the chronic illness space from her experience living with ulcerative colitis. Now, she’s created coaching programs for areas of life like wellness and business, so we know Nat’s savviness and bubbly personality make for the best jump back in our podcast series! In this episode, Dominique and Nat get to know each other in our speed round of ‘Remember the Last Tim’” as Nat explains her last TV series she’s streamed, last meal she’d give a five-star rating, and who she’d fill her table at a last supper (and it’s a pretty big guest list). Plus, these two powerhouse boss ladies get chatting all about breaking downs those glass ceilings the chronic illness/disability community faces when try to reach their potential and manage health struggles. The ladies give advice to combat Imposter Syndrome, talk stories of when they’ve needed to give themselves their own pep talks, and some useful tips on how to fight those voices or opinions that make you doubt yourself. And our Intermission is one of the most relatable and entertaining ever as Nat tells Dominique a story about an experience from dating when she was newly diagnosed. Trust us, this is a story time you don’t want to miss because they get super real about hair loss, dating during university, and getting an awkward text after a date. In the second half of our video podcast episode, Nat and Dominique dish out some MAJOR tools in our segment ‘Health Hack Moments’ when talking about their hacks for balancing health, life and trying to bring some joy and success into our crazy lives. The explain how it’s important to express your worries and thoughts—even if not to a friend, family member or therapist and it’s to a journal or an empty room—and Nat explains some of her health hacks that the reminds to her clients that give her balance like journaling, meditation and even having a good ‘cry moment’ before you try to regroup positivity thinking. And make sure you stay to the end of this episode because Nat and Dominique are dishing out SO MUCH GOOD LIFE ADVICE that’ll make you a boss that’s happy and successful AND chronically ill/disabled. They chat about ways to steer away from feeling like you need to ‘fix your illness’ before achieving goals, and how accepting your diagnosis isn’t stagnancy. Dominique and Nat give out TEN things to add into your toolkit to boost your mood in an instant DAILY. Plus, Nat—a queen of IG content—shares her tips on how to be authentic on social media about your highs and lows (because everyone learns and grows through life, even the coaches and founders like Nat and Dominique) while also maintaining privacy you want. There’s no better way to get into the end of 2020 than listening or watching this video podcast episode because it starts AND ends with reminders of how YOU can live life with chronic illness/disability can be just as joyful, fulfilling and successful as anyone around you. Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Nat @plentyandwellwithnat, and support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sometimes you make fast friends with people. That’s exactly what happened when founder Dominique was first introduced (via Twitter, obviously) to our very special guest on this episode, British chronic illness and lifestyle blogger, founder of Spoonie Survival Kits, author and freelance writer, Pippa Stacey. It’s no exaggeration when we say Pippa is a fan favorite among the chronic illness community, really giving practical yet humorous advice on life with health struggles. This is a young woman that has created a fundraising social enterprise company, developed a freelancing career and being awarded for her successful blog which is gaining a quarter MILLION impressions per month…and she’s not even 30 years old! Getting to unite Dominique and Pippa in one episode is like having an explosion of girl boss flare, sassy chronic illness humor, and activist creativity all while showing how they’ve redefined what success looks like. On this episode, Dominique and Pippa dive deep into their pop culture favorites from must read books like @mindfullyevie, why Pippa would immediately book a train to see Six Musical on the West End, and all the reasons Dominique raves about inclusive and accurate casting on TV series like This is Us with Blake Stadnik and Skam France’s glorious Season 5 with Winona Guyon and Lucas Wild, and lead Robin Migné for deaf culture and ableism discussion. Pippa also lays out all different ways she homed in on her craft of writing and improved so her hobby had the ability to become a career path, and listed how volunteering or school opportunities allowed her to figure out her interests that fit with her health needs. Plus, we give you the top tips and reasons to do the best professional DM slides that will absolutely give you the resume glow-up you’ll need to be mentored, get work experience and take the steps to be empowered to create an authentic career. There’s even some insider tips on how to find jobs that are flexible, virtual and remote so it will cater well to your chronic illness/disability needs. And our Intermission Story Time is EVERYTHING as Pippa tells the story about her quite literal crash entrance at the largest disability expo in the UK, Naidex. packs a punch as Dominique and Pippa delve into the topic of Pippa’s TEDxTalk, redefining success as someone with chronic illness/disability. We learn how to generate financial and personal success and chat about a few options young people can take in order to garner some employment success, and the advice on how to talk about your work and personal life with your inner circle when it may be hard for them to understand you can be “chronically ill AND happy.” And it wouldn’t be right to bring Pippa on the video podcast unless we had an entire segment dedicated to her masterful skills on social media. You want to TAKE NOTES on this as these ladies lay out gems of how to blend personal life posts with some activism flare in the captions, why Pippa likes to hold her projects secret until she can reveal major news that’s louder than bombs like her book release, the best examples of how to handle those negative and passive aggressive comment sections—like our 48-hour rule—and Dominique explains why we’re a champion of subtle activism on social media where we take the “Easter egg approach” to engage more people in advocacy while making your platform positively matter. There is not one minute of this video podcast episode that will not entertain you, build up your confidence, or instill some life tips that will put you on the best path for your future! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nothing feels better during the start of the January winter than daydreaming about those ideal vacation getaways we want to plan. All those warm, tropical destinations we’d love to escape to during these winter months. But let’s be real…planning a vacation or trip when you have a chronic illness or disability can be quite complicated. We want to make holidays fun and spontaneous again, so we enlisted the help of someone who’s an expert in travel with a chronic illness, Carrie-Ann Lightley. As a disability travel blogger, Carrie-Ann has sent over 15 years learning how to best survey and examine hotels, venues, transportation and vacation destinations to suit those with disabilities or chronic illness from her experience living with cerebral palsy. And now she’s the Marketing Manager for the UK’s leading virtual accessibility guide AccessAble which provides detailed information about all things travel through their trained surveyors. So, no better person than Carrie-Ann to bring on the Season Three opener and give us all the traveler advice and holiday tips so we can put the fun back in our vacation and travel life—no matter how long your trip may be. In this episode, Carrie-Ann and Dominique chat about their top three countries on their traveler’s list (which ALL three are identical!), and how Carrie-Ann answer to ‘what was your childhood dream job?’ was probably one of the best answers we’ve ever had on the podcast, examine what the top questions someone should think of when picking their holiday destinations or researching about whether hotels, venues or restaurants are accessible, and talk openly about why it’s pivotal those of us with chronic illness/disability chat with our travel companions (family, friends, partners, etc) BEFORE any trip about how they can be helpful in certain scenarios so no one’s making major decisions under pressure. And our intermission story time is filled with major laughs as Carrie-Ann tells us a story that involves a vacation to Spain, her husband, an ocean view and an unfortunate encounter with a light pole—trust us, it’s unlike any story we’ve heard before and Dominique lives for a good surprise ending! Plus, we bring back our new segment of Top Search and bring on the dialogue about what are the top searched questions people are asking when deciding on travelling, top questions they search when considering whether locations or venues are accessible to their medical needs, the top questions we should be asking hotels if we need assistance, and the top hashtags to search on social media when checking out holiday spots. And the end of our episode is JAM-PACKED with facts and tips our guests should take some major notes on because Carrie-Ann and Dominique give the best advice for when you travel on the small day outing, the weekend trip and the long vacation holiday, the best tips for packing—especially if you have medical needs to pack with you too—efficiently for a trip, and the guidebook to scheduling activities into your holidays so they’re medically tangible yet spontaneous too, so it’s fun and stress-free for everyone involved! Carrie-Ann even brings up some surprising statistics that prove why it’s not just ideal to make your venue accessible for guests, but it’s also a major avenue of revenue to bring in many more guests if they can use the facility and enjoy their holidays there. Venues, hotels and holiday destinations should become more inclusive, it’s a fact, and it just makes sense. You will be booking your next holiday with so much excitement after you check out this episode! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Challenge the exclusion so many with chronic illness/disability face and reshape everyone’s perception (including your own person mindset). That’s what has driven the ultimate female founder warrior, Tiffany Yu. After a car accident as a child resulted in her personal experience living with brachial plexus palsy (nerve damage in her right arm), Tiffany had to grow up within the framework of others’ opinions on her disability. And as she found her voice, and realized the stereotypes society has thrust upon her solely because of her disability, Tiffany became motivated to challenge these barriers. Diversability is a social enterprise that works to rebrand disability through the power of community, storytelling, and working with the non-disabled community to show ways inclusivity is a successful choice to make. Along with Diversability, Tiffany has used her stellar social media platform to also become a public speaker, founder of Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter which awards micro-grants to disability projects, and this year winning California Miss Amazing Queen to use her platform for women/girls with disabilities. Talk about having disability royalty on InvisiYouth Chat Sessions podcast! This episode, Dominique and Tiffany list off lots of Tiffany’s lasts—like the last Instagram follow, public speaking event, and home cooked meal (but Tiffany jokes she’ll focus more about being home than her cooking skills), break all the pillars down that hold up our chronic illness/disability “glass ceiling,” give tips to silence the “inner monologue hater” that makes us self-conscious of our chronic illness/disability, remind everyone that success and joy are NOT exclusive to healthy/non-disabled people, and gets super real on why perpetuating the negative stigmas on chronic illness/disability need to be dissolved on two levels—our personal journey and how the media/brands see it. When we get to our intermission story time, it’s about to get super freaking because we discover not only the story behind Tiffany’s stunning split artwork that embodies how Tiffany “embraces the elephant in the room” that is her disability, but also how BOTH Dominique and Tiffany have carry images of a little girl hugging an elephant. How super kismet is that! And the second half this episode is even better than the first! Dominique and Tiffany discuss how leading life with vulnerability breathes strength on the daily, encourage the power of DMs to all those activist idols you follow, talk about the power of language, advise us ways to erase the plague of being a burden from our mindsets so we can embrace the power of YES, talk how-to’s when it comes to needing help when you’re an introvert that has a chronic illness/disability, ways our healthy/non-disabled counterparts can ask questions about our health struggles while being okay with us saying NO, establish the winning strategy of ally-ship which is a pillar for both Diversability and InvisiYouth as they demand the outside chronic illness/disability community be at the table when discussing accessibility and accurate representation, and create a guidebook on feeling comfortable discussing disability between friends and public or guide to feeling confident in our own skin. Tiffany is proof that we must liberate ourselves from the false perceptions of chronic illness/disability, and that diversity is always a strength. Want that self-growth and conversation-opener…listen to this podcast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Reunited and it is truly video podcast ear candy! We are bringing back one of our favorite guests from Season One, and a dear friend of Dominique’s to the Chat Sessions and they have upped their game to make this a highlight episode yet again! We are talking about philanthropist, award-winning children’s book author, executive producer and cystic fibrosis activist Travis Flores! 2019 has been a year of many major life moments for Travis. It’s the 15th anniversary of his children’s book, he’s featured in Season Four of The CW’s MY LAST DAYS (created by Jane the Virgin actor and Five Feet Apart director Justin Baldoni), opened up about his coming out story and amazing husband, and now, Travis has been so open about his fight for a life-saving third double lung transplant. Travis’ super empowered and super honest way of life impacts so many of his fans, the #YellowHeartSquad, and we’re honored to call him a friend and supporter of InvisiYouth. In this episode, Dominique and Travis catch up on all that they’ve had going on this year and how Travis’ episode on MY LAST DAYS led to a viral outpouring of love for his love and life story, examine the stereotypes around masculinity and chronic illness and discuss why it seems there’s such a struggle for the public to identify strength within those that have chronic illnesses, develop tactics to staying authentic when you’re sharing your story—whether on social media or when you’re talking with family and friends, throw down some amazing reasons why they believe vulnerability and strength are synonymous, and give ways we can all slowly become more confident in our lives that include our chronic illness/disability. Plus, Travis tells a story for the first time on camera that gets Dominique laughing so hard. Spoiler: it is a story from Travis’ teen years at a children’s hospital which includes nighttime strolls and morgues…but trust us when we say it’s definitely a part of the episode you don’t want to miss. In the second half of the episode, Travis and Dominique are developing a path to self-empowerment that includes the ways we can rewire that inner monologue of self-doubt when we think our health limits any goal, try to understand why people feel afraid to talk about chronic illness with any sort of joy, humor and power (and why there’s an assumption that chronic illness can only be shown in a melancholy light), suggest ways young people can build a life for themselves within their chronic illness/disability and build relationships with friends/colleagues that become your allies for success, talk candidly about the politically correct—or PC culture—of how media and even our inner circle are scared to discuss youth and chronic illness/disability together, and how that fear of saying the wrong thing actually makes our community more invisible than it needs to be, and talk about what Dominique and Travis feel are the best ways to feel fulfilled during our health setbacks and disassociate weakness from our self-description. These friends bring together a podcast episode jam-packed with major moments of power, moments of laughter, moments of reflection, moments of hones advice, and moments of joy. This is an episode anyone can relate to because it will feel like you’re sitting down with two that are super grateful to fight for all their tomorrows while appreciating the now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#RelationshipGoals! We see that hashtag on social media and we get to see those love-fest posts about all that bonds two people together. But as someone in the chronic illness/disability community, these happy posts can bring about a lot of different questions. Even more so, when it’s a partnership between a chronically ill/disabled person and a ‘healthy/able-bodied’ person. Mainly…how does this kind of relationship have such success? In the second installment of Season Two’s relationship series, we have brought two guest experts that exemplify the relationship goals we all dream of…those romantic relationships. We have the Kowlessars on the show; Anna Kowlessar who is the founder and executive director of People Hope Org, and her husband Randy Kowlessar, the owner of the small business strategist and advocate company, Hello Randy! Anna and Randy bring just as much life, joy, faith, hard work and love into their work as they do their marriage! They embody so much of what People Hope stands for as a web-based organization providing people living with chronic illnesses and their support networks the tools, resources, spiritual connection and community to combat all the challenges of life with health struggles. We had to get the ultimate couple on the show that blends chronic illness from Anna’s health journey with the ‘healthy/able-bodied’ partner from Randy’s supportive ways. In this episode, Dominique, Anna and Randy, reveal the most common questions they’re asked as a couple and what are the main keys to some relationship success—as a ‘healthy’ partner or a ‘chronically ill’ partner— (and you’ll love their tips here), reveal why adventure challenge TV shows and Connect Four are key components in the Kowlessar home, and partake in our new segment TOP SEARCH where Anna and Randy tell us their auto-answers for “how can I support someone I’m dating if they have a chronic illness?” and “what answers can I give if someone ask about my health in a relationship?” And these two also give us the best story time segment when Randy and Anna tell us about their first date, which includes Randy giving the best ‘drop the mic’ response when Anna tells him about her chronic illness. In the second half of the episode, Anna tells us all about People Hope’s new program, Focus Fix—a monthly program that supports chronic illness warriors have tools to dive into self-growth (and you know at InvisiYouth we are all about cultivating a vibrant life for you medically adult-ish© people), and explains how finding love is a two-part project; you must find love for yourself before finding love with another person. Also, Dominique, Anna and Randy give advice on how to boost your inner confidence for all those introverts that might take time to thaw out their feelings/questions/needs, layout game-changing tips to communication with your partner, examine how having a supportive inner circle of friends and family can be your sounding board in the best way to vent frustrations and worries, divulge the secret Anna and Dominique prepare when needing to bring up serious topics with your partner, empower you with how they feel confident and valuable when those health setbacks days occur—and how early prep conversations are key, and end the show with advice they’d give the single versions of themselves. It’s a podcast that will have you feeling empowered, get lots of laughs, have faith in your journey, and feel the love for not only the people in your life, but a love for yourself! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Long-term goals can become one of the most stressful parts of young adult life. People want to know about your plans for university or work, if you want to get married, whether you want to travel or settle down, and if a family and kids are in the cards. And these questions can be pretty intense without the added layer of figuring out your future with a chronic illness/disability. Health issues can make planning for the future a bit challenging, because it’s unknown what the next month will look like, let alone the next ten years. So how do those of us with health struggles plan our future? That’s what our guest, Rachel Mayo, helps us with on Episode 23. As a Type One Diabetic since her diagnosis at 18, Rachel has spent almost 15 years growing up and creating a life for herself with chronic illness. She has developed a positivity activism style all her own through blogging, public speaking, being a guest writer on numerous articles for nonprofits like Beyond Type One, Nick Jonas’ young adult diabetes activism nonprofit and podcasts, and fundraising for charities like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For Rachel, she wanted to advocate with humor and kindness on what has been her life journey of growing up while balancing T1D, and the role her chronic and invisible illness has played in her decisions. Rachel has documented her career from being a leadership and conference consultant with Paradigm Shift to currently working for JDRF as a volunteer engagement and outreach manager with Middle and East Tennessee, to her IVF and fertility and pregnancy journey through her hyper-active social media platform. It is her transparency on career-building, fertility struggles, pregnancy and first-time momma life with her son Noah, that makes Rachel the perfect guest on the show. In this episode, Rachel and Dominique examine the big topics older youth with chronic illness/disability should ask about their futures NOW, discover Rachel’s ideal celebrity mom playdates for her and Noah, give the best answers on how to handle those ‘adulting’ topics when you need to plan ahead (like fertility, having children, or traveling for work), lay out the best tips for how to bring these talks and questions to your doctors/support network—with the realization that asking questions is not only okay, but encouraged, motivate us to discover that being assertive for yourself can be in both verbal and written formats (hello email/texting services with doctors!), laugh lots when it’s discovered that Rachel and Dominique both have an Elmo-related nickname (and it’s DEFINITELY a couple stories you need to hear), create the life playlist for all your future adulating needs like the best sleep tools, scheduler apps, medication reminder apps, diet/snack tricks to be on-the-go, must-have parenting tools (like Rachel’s key baby apps for all first-time moms that work the best for spoonie moms), and Rachel’s key tips for hashtags that divide her posts between being a T1D/invisible illness mom AND a T1D activist, get super heartfelt as Rachel talks about her fertility journey, pregnancy and post-baby Noah life that had to blend with her T1D life she was accustomed to and all Rachel’s advice for fellow women with chronic illnesses/disabilities that want to have children as part of their future plans, and advise a seriously dynamic toolkit for handling any negative comments in the social media world about your life choices (from career, travel, or future family plans) that coexist with your chronic illness/disability. It’s so true that planning a future—whether that be jobs, marriage, children, or travel—can be quite multifaceted when you also have a chronic illness/disability, but Rachel’s epic special guest appearance shines a bright light into how full adulthood with health struggles can be pretty damn sweet! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When loungewear clothing brand Aerie dropped their #AerieReal campaign, the world got a severe case of inclusive diversity. There were models with insulin pumps, canes and ostomy bags but one model in particular got top news coverage: 21-year-old Georgia native, Abby Sams, who rocked her wheelchair in her shots. Seeing a young woman in a well-recognized campaign that was being celebrated in their clothes AND her wheelchair/walking crutches brought the conversation of diversity and disability representation to mainstream media. We got messages, tweets and DMs all freaking out over how excited they were to see girls like themselves on TV, in magazines and in commercials. But Abby’s not just a model representing chronic illness (like her own experiences with RSD, EDS and POTS), she’s also now using her massively growing Instagram following to document her latest passion project in her life: wheelchair racing. Abby is using her fresh advocacy style to make the public comfortably open-minded on topics like travel accessibility, inclusivity and the power of adaptive sports. In this stylish episode, Abby and Dominique talk about Abby’s journey to becoming one of Aerie’s models and what makes her favorite things like top Aerie clothes in her closet that are most accessible to wear, her top activism slogan shirts—which you can see all over her Instagram—and dream name for her racing wheelchair, develops the main issues brands run into when they ignore bringing products that are diverse AND functional, list off all the ways every young person can take the first few steps into becoming their own advocate, name the how-to’s when it comes to breaking stigmas on being young with health struggles, give insider tips on how you can talk accessibility without ‘scaring off’ the healthy-able-bodied community, get super real about Abby’s journey to bringing wheelchair racing into her life—and how anyone with any level of sporting experience can get into adaptive sports, regardless of chronic illness/disability, advise how people get find adaptive sporting opportunities in your area of the world. And during this episode, Abby and Dominique empower your face off as they talk about how they brought athleticism into their chronic illness lives while understanding the stigma of ‘Paralympian-level only’ for adaptive sports does not apply when you want to just have some fun, get to hear some truly funny and unfortunate stories of Abby’s experience around cities like Brooklyn when the public see ambulatory wheelchair users like Abby for the first time, lay out the best tools, apps and advice for everyone looking to see if places like restaurants, stores, concert venues and universities are accessible (and you MUST take notes), and we create the medically adult-ish© guidebook to finding some stigma-breaking clothing brands, hashtags to boost your disability awareness following, and the must-have mobility aids for life and sports. With Abby Sams, you get to have a jam-packed episode that you’ll have on repeat when you want to be motivated, inspired and have some major laughs to boost any week of the year! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

To be an influencer, or not to be an influencer? That is the question! In today’s world, the idea of making a career with your social media savvy and your Instagram account is super appealing. Add in the fact that it is a predominately virtual-led career path and it seems overtly-tantalizing for the chronic illness and disability community. Hell, even our programming is virtually-focused and relies on social media to reach our network! So we're a charity based in social media activism for work! But how does someone not fall into the pitfalls or stereotypes of a “social media influencer?” How can you still be an activist for chronic illness/disability rights while making your social media platform matter? What do you need to do to take your social media and turn it into a financial income? Well, we’ve got the golden ticket episode for you with our special guest giving all the top-secret info that’ll take you from subtle activist to bonafide influencer game-changer. Tourette Syndrome activist, Disability and Anti-Bullying advocate, Publicist and Social Media Influencer Hayley Gripp is the hybrid of chronic illness activist with brand supporter which fuels her growing Instagram of 115k followers! She bounces between LA and NYC for work projects and charity events (now living in NYC), and has even played an integral part in revising some hefty disability legislation like the I.D.E.A. Act on Capital Hill. Hayley wants to show the world that social media should be about #PostingWithIntegrity (the name of her soon-to-be released advocacy campaign). And living with a motto that those living with chronic illness/disability have some of the most empowering and platform-worthy stories that can positively impact society. In this episode, Hayley and Dominique talk about what makes social media influencing a bit controversial and how Hayley has defined her space as “social activist” media influencer which fuels success, examine the best places to use your platform for good and sharing your story with integrity to make positive change in your community and beyond, get super deep as they explore how to find self-love and self-worth when you’re feel self-conscious, hysterically laugh about Hayley's dog needing his own "Instagram-boyfriend" while also being an emotional support for her, lay out the best steps to boosting your mood when health setbacks collide with some work/personal life goals, and deliver the biggest list of insider secrets and tools for everyone that wants the influencer life. We’re serious…this is a full peak behind the curtain of brand supporter and social media influencer lives! This podcast episode lets Hayley and Dominique give some major tips and tricks that’ll not only let you boost your following, but how to approach the companies that have the best philanthropic heart and support inclusivity and diversity. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mental Health Awareness Month may have ended, but we’re keeping this conversation going since mental health is an all-year thing! There are still so many misconceptions, stigmas and social norms that make the “mental health chatter” seem challenging. To say that first sentence, to yourself or a loved one, sometimes we really don’t know how to begin, or how to help ourselves. So what better way to develop a stellar mental wellness episode than to bring a special guest that’s fused two of our biggest platforms: social media with activism for young adults! Creator of the mental health and wellness blog, Adventures and Anxiety, Lisa Gallo, is passionate marketer and public relations specialist while also being a zealous mental health blogger. Using her experiences with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder, Lisa has developed her own light, humorous and heartfelt style of activism that’s become a fast-growing resource for so many young adults. In this episode, Lisa and Dominique open the conversation about the biggest fears young adults have when it comes to mental health talk, discuss the reasons people forget that mental wellness is a spectrum where every level deserves its own support and recognition, talk about the benefits of therapy—not just professional talk therapy but sports, writing, art, music, and meditation—and how it can evolve for everyone, and create the perfect (and affordable!) toolkit that’ll strengthen your mind with everything from the perks of free university counseling, apps for meditation, self-care, and therapists, to the pros to a blend of western and holistic measures like essential oils, acupuncture, medication, therapy or diet/exercise styles. Also, you’ll want to stick around for Lisa’s life story of the first time she had a panic attack as a teen—and while that doesn’t sound like an uplifting story, Lisa and her friends/family have used that experience to grow, support and strengthen their health and relationships (plus, it’s a story that involves a tailgate—Go Gators!—a drive across a bridge, and some skydiving talk…so you’ll need to tune in to learn how that all comes together). And it wouldn’t be an InvisiYouth Chat Sessions episode unless we got to drop some major motivation and life tips! With a guidebook for social media while maintaining your mental strength, Lisa and Dominique talk about ways to avoid those social media pitfalls, suggestions of social media activism and blogs that are epic mental health activism tools, tips to use social media healthily, how to unfollow/mute those accounts that only breed envy or self-consciousness, and the best advice to keep your mind and body on a positive note that’ll make you ready to win at life. This episode is going to be the one you put on repeat to bring some self-love, some empowerment, some sassy humor and lots of knowledge that’ll make your mental wellness strengthen more and more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When we see ourselves in films, in the characters on the silver screen, you not only feel represented, but you can widen our dreamscape. And it’s no wonder that when we talk self-confidence, when we talk dating, when we talk relationships, we never so rarely have a movie or TV show to relate to. Today’s guest is bringing the knowledge on the worlds of dating and films with chronic illness/disability, it’s LA filmmaker and disability activist Ashley Eakin. Making her viral fame debut in 2017 with her SoulPancake video where she discusses the role her rare bone condition, Ollier's disease and Maffucci syndrome in her life, Ashley had 44 MILLION views and a new path for disability activism in the arts. She’s made her first short film BLUE and recently finalized funding for her new short SINGLE which will be filmed in late 2019, all focusing on the complexities of modern dating as a young person with a disability. And no big deal…but Ashley has also been behind the camera on projects like America’s Top Model and working for director Jon Chu of CRAZY RICH ASIANS! Ashley uses the power of vulnerability to prove not only how to empower yourself, but how to share an authentic story and relationship with others! In this episode, Ashley explains the last time she went on an epic trip to Singapore and Malaysia for Crazy Rich Asians filming and her last piece of good advice she wants to share, lay out the best start-up phrases to use when you feel self-conscious about someone who asks questions about your illness/disability or how to ask for help when you’re at work or the boss while making everyone think it’s their idea to support, develop the medically adult-ish guidebook to dating with chronic illness/disability through the lens of Ashley’s upcoming short SINGLE and promo testimonials which includes the following—our tips on bouncing back from bad dates and rude judgment, meeting people outside of apps, advice on having that awkward first conversation about your health struggles while dating, all the pros and cons of relationships where both people have health struggles, examines how creating films has been a vessel for positive change in Ashley’s life and her massive social media network, have some laughs as Ashley recounts her first at a SheLift retreat where her wilderness skills were tested, and dive into our top tips for using your vulnerability as a tool for confidence, building relationships, sharpening your work ethic, and becoming a game-changer in not just advocating for your needs but your dreams and goals too. Join us for this episode of humor, lots of life stories, some much-needed dating tips, and listen to chat about films and disability/illness representation! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the biggest questions we get in “how do I handle my relationships while living with a chronic illness or disability?” And there are all types of relationships—romantic, familial, parents, siblings, caregivers, friends, doctors—that we experience every day. There’s so many complexities in how our relationships can thrive, so throughout Season Two, our podcast will bring you guest experts that exemplify the best of these relationship…starting with the first relationship we experience: parental dynamic. We’ve enlisted a mother-daughter duo from Canada, and one of our Global Brand Leader-All Stars, 17-year-old Madi Vanstone and her mom Beth. Not only does Madi use her large social media platform as a teen with cystic fibrosis to empower others to live beautiful well-rounded lives, but her and Beth also fights to improve medical necessities for other CF fighters, like going to Canadian Parliament to gain expensive medications like Kalydeco to have government coverage. Now they are powerhouses in the CF activism realm, having raised funds for CF Canada and InvisiYouth, along with being featured activists in CF books and movie reviews like the recent FIVE FEET APART. In this episode, Dominique, Beth and Madi discuss the best ways parents and their young adult kin can interact both within the medical questions and in our non-medical lives, the top ways to talk to your parents when you’re feeling every sort of emotion about your health, give advice on how to boost your self-esteem in advocating with your doctors, family or public activism, tells us stories about why the entire Vanstone family has matching tattoos and their love of ice hockey, chats up pop culture headlines on our love fest for Justin Baldoni and his directorial debut of FIVE FEET APART and while chronic illness representation in cinema is not only vital to make our stories more visible, but they need to be told with as much passion as Baldoni brought to the film in tribute of the wonderful Claire Wineland’s legacy, talk about the ways we can grow from a shy activist to a public speaker like Madi as she’s grown up with CF, divulge the best tips when you and your parents may disagree, laugh endlessly on how being an advocate IS COOL even as a teen—especially when you’ve got your family supporting you, and the best advice on how to maintain the ‘normal non-medical’ side of your family dynamic like setting aside specific time to NOT talk about your chronic illness/disability journey. And...introduce a new segment about a teeniatrics® way of life! This is the first of many episodes reflecting on the relationships that take up our lives, and the dynamic duo of Beth and Madi showcase the full-range of how to thrive in a relationship with our parents in our full lives, both medically and personally. Take notes people, this episode is filled with lots of nuggets of knowledge! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’ve all seen these Instagram-worthy photos of mouthwatering meals, and oftentimes wonder if we could ever cook something that looks that delicious. And when you have a chronic illness or disability, entering the kitchen can feel more like a survivor challenge with lots of rules instead of a fun and freeing time to cook. But one woman has not only brought the fun, humor and tastiness to cooking, but also some much-needed diversity…and she’d our special guest on this episode, Canadian chef and YouTube creator of Stump Kitchen, Alexis Hillyard. Born without her left hand, Alexis, fell in love with cooking vegan/vegetarian meals and share her creative ways of cooking through her fast-growing YouTube show. Alexis’ activism for limb difference and culinary love is infused within an amazing sense of humor that makes Episode 17 must-watch content. In this episode, Alexis and Dominique talk about the best reactions—especially from kids—to Stump Kitchen and her limb difference, dive into the discussion of how cooking is not just food for the soul but also a great form of mental therapy, lay out the importance of diversity in the cooking world to show that physical difference or chronic illness DOES NOT mean you can’t do something, give mega-motivation tips on how to gain confidence or humor when faced with those ignorant comments, laugh out loud when Alexis shares a childhood story that consists of a ball pin and a missing prosthetic battery, swipe left and right in our Life Tinder on things like clapping back at social media trolls or using the term disability when people want to define others, and create the best toolkit for video editing, tools to have in your kitchen, best vegan recipes like chicken and waffles, and the best cooking show to watch. Just like a 5-Star restaurant, this episode is filled with delicious life tips, funny stories, bites of motivation and the best empowerment that’ll make you feel like you can tackle life with any chronic illness/disability! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Not every day you get to start off a video podcast asking your guest where they keep their four Paralympic medals, and how they named their memoir! But that got to be some of the many topics we chatted about with our special guest on this episode! Even better, this guest has been our Celebrity Ambassador for three years, and we are so thrilled to finally bring you this collaboration with the incredibly empowering Paralympic medalist swimmer, ESPN correspondent, author and motivational speaker, Victoria Arlen! This young woman is the embodiment of what InvisiYouth stands for: she’s fought through two rare medical conditions that left her in a vegetative state for four years “locked” inside her body and aware of her surroundings unable to communicate, she’s won four Paralympic medals, she’s discovered ways to soar with her health challenges and she’s built a platform and nonprofit that brings joy, support, love and laughter to hundreds of thousands of people. In this episode, Dominique and Victoria have so much fun chatting about how adaptive sports and fitness on any level can bring physical and mental wellness, get passionate discussing how the overused buzz-word “inspiration” can get annoying for older youth with chronic illness/disability, sift through some of Victoria’s best Instagram posts to learn the value of humor for both making others more comfortable with your health struggles but also to provide yourself with inner emotional support in the face of setbacks, dig deep into discussion on how important it is to discuss the pain and adversity of your illness/disability and not just project an upbeat façade for your community, give tips for a path of self-confidence when able-bodied people question your capability, and give so many health hacks to excelling at work, school, and hobbies when you have bad health days. Victoria totally slays this podcast as InvisiYouth’s Celebrity Ambassador, giving life advice for anyone living with chronic illness/disability on how to thrive and achieve anything you desire! This is a match made in philanthropy-heaven as two boss ladies unite in a chatty episode with so many laughs and motivation! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What better way to start off Season Two of InvisiYouth Chat Sessions: A Video Podcast series than getting to chat away with a stellar and successful YouTuber who’s made a name for herself before she even turned 16! With new segments, a new visual set, and new episode format, the video podcast series is stepping it up a notch to make each episode jam-packed with lifestyle tricks, empowerment skills, and lots of laughs, so your life with any health struggle, chronic illness or disability is thrilling and fulfilling. And our first episode of the season is with a guest we’ve been fangirling over for a while, British YouTuber, National Champion trampoliner and Quadruple Amputee Isabelle Weall. At the age of 7, Izzy developed meningitis and as a result, needed to have both her arms and legs amputated. Now at 15, Izzy is a competitive trampolinist, won the 2017 Pride of Sport Young Achiever award, and runs a successful YouTube channel of over 120k subscribers! On this episode, Dominique and Izzy chat about her favorite YouTube videos, get life tips on how to boost your inner confidence and confidence to try new things--like adaptive sports, label a life playlist filled with scheduling tools, music soundtracks and disability sport opportunities, learn the history behind Izzy’s rise in YouTube, discuss how we have to continue using our platforms of all scales to remove the negative mentality behind chronic illness/disability stigmas in order to show the joys and fun of life with any health struggles, talk about the impact behind Izzy’s first TEDxTalk in America, and give tips on how to keep your power when others might stare with ‘curious eyes’ and how it’s okay for others to ask questions AND refuse to answer them. Izzy is fun, passionate, and a subtle activist, who’s hundreds of thousands of followers are learning about equality, disability capability and representation through her channel. And this episode has so much lighthearted energy and passion, you’ll be excited to see where each segment takes us from start to finish. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"One September 2nd 2018, the world experienced the great loss of one of its most brilliant, generous and loving voices, Cystic Fibrosis activist, YouTuber, motivational speaker and founder of Claire’s Place Foundation, Claire Wineland. Over the years I launched InvisiYouth Charity, Claire and I got to know one another and begin building a friendship while working together. Claire even became one of InvisiYouth’s first Global Brand Leaders! We talked so much about what our charities could do together, what we could forge together that would empower young adults with all chronic illnesses and, as Claire would say, “thrive in life.” One of our first plans we worked on was to have Claire be a special guest on the first season of InvisiYouth Chat Sessions. But we didn’t get that chance. Losing Claire brought so many emotions to those around the world that adored her on all scales. It was an absolute fact that all of InvisiYouth and myself especially wanted to still have Claire be part of our series. I made a promise to Claire earlier this year that no matter where life took us, our friendship would continue and we’d still work together. So this episode is how we get creative to keep working with Claire. We’re going to go through some of what Claire and I were planning to discuss, and some of the topics that Claire brought the most passion to in her mission. This is a showcase of Claire’s wondrous legacy. AND I have the blessing and fortune to interview a woman who’s not only one of the people closest to Claire, but also now forever part of the InvisiYouth family and my own, the Executive Director of Claire’s Place Foundation and her greatest role of being a mom of two, Claire’s mom, Melissa Yeager. I am forever changed by having Claire in my life these past three years, and while I will forever miss her laughter, humor, warmth and empowerment. Claire’s impact will remain for hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Thank you, Claire, for truly motivating a generation to live a life they’re proud, to thrive with chronic illness/disability, and to always lead a life of love, humor and giving. This is the first of many creative collaborations in our future, Claire, and this episode is for you." ~Dominique Viel, founder of InvisiYouth Charity See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All over the media, we see actors and musicians talking about body confidence and clothing campaigns pushing body positivity…but what does that really mean if you don’t know how to become more body confident? Add onto that all the complications of being a young person with chronic illness and disability and life can get complicated. We are completely fangirling over our British guest on this InvisiYouth Chat Sessions episode because she has carved a place for herself as a stellar Body Positivity expert, it is burn survivor and motivational speaker, Catrin Pugh. Surviving an Alps coach crash five years ago which resulted in 96% burns on her body, Catrin has led a mission of celebrating scars and health challenges and bringing confidence to those who living with any physical difference. In this episode, Catrin and Dominique swipe right or left on some mainstream body positivity trends to see what’s a heck yes on Life’s Tinder, chat about the step-by-step ways anyone can challenge stigmas on health and beauty not only in their personal life but on a public activism scale, learn the story behind Catrin’s very first Instagram post with a medically-friendly selfie stick while in recovery in hospital, talk openly why an ideal world of no one reacting to physical difference should not be a focus—but rather how to respond to those that make negative comments or how to build your support safety net of family/friends when going out and trying new things, explain the rationale of why it’s okay to have unconfident days and let that feeling sit with an Adele record in the background for a short while, and create a playlist to a life of body positivity with Catrin’s must-have tools to balance health with work, musicians that lift you up or let you sit in sadness temporarily, and organize your schedule when it’s filled with schoolwork, social activities and medical necessities. This is an episode that you’ll want to take notes on from the very first minute! Catrin and Dominique bring the humor, the uplifting motivation, and the best lifestyle tips that will be able to start the steps of your body confidence journey TODAY! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let’s face it, people tend to get into those awkward moments the second they notice you have a chronic illness or disability. Truly, it’s the metaphorical elephant in the room, and it feels taboo for most people without connections to illness/disability to talk about. This third themed-group of episodes is called “So We’re Gonna Get Talking About Taboo Topics” so we can tackle head-on all the major topics surrounding illness/disability that are often too uncomfortable for others. Our special guests from around the world have found a knack for tackling the taboo and making it mainstream. We’re so lucky our first guest is also a Global Brand Leader AND a multi-award winning blogger from Leeds, England, Chloe Tear. While being a university student, and always being an activist for others living with cerebral palsy like herself, Chloe has built a master activism style that’s all about normalizing chronic illness/disability as more than the sole identify for a person. In this episode, Chloe and Dominique break through the stigmas of interacting in the public as a young person with disability while also laying out top ways to regain control of your interactions by letting people know it’s okay to live with illness/disability, build a master toolkit to life as a young adult with health struggles that are filled with apps, tools and portable medical equipment that’ll make your daily life massively easier, examine how laughter isn’t just a motivator but also a key ingredient in advocating for yourself in public—by using Chloe’s sassy informative tweets as a guidebook—and get in deep on the ways you can keep the power living with health struggles whether you want to answer those ‘ignorantly uncomfortable’ questions about your health or you want to keep your silence to prove your confidence with your version of normality. This episode is PACKED with life tips and tricks to erasing the taboo of being a young adult with illness/disability, and making sure you are in control when those random strangers or friends stare too much or ask the occasional ‘dumb’ questions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The truth of the matter is that finding a job when you have a chronic illness or disability can feel like it’s going to be a bit more challenging than for others. And let’s face it, we all have to pay the bills, so getting a job with a steady paycheck is a goal…but how do we find jobs that can adapt to our health struggles, work with colleagues that are healthy/able-bodied, and still rock our activism lives? That is all we talk about in this video podcast episode, and we are so lucky our guest is not only a Global Brand Leader for InvisiYouth, but she’s also an NYC native with mega fashion skills, Molly Kestenbaum. As an assistant jewelry designer for accessories company BaubleBar, while also looking to build her own sunglasses line, Molly uses her experience living with hearing impairments that’s resulted in her having a cochlear implant and hearing aids in order to make fashion accessible and inclusive. And Molly has gone through it all, internships, the job hunt, interviews and landing a position, so she’s ripe with information to pass along! In this episode, Molly and Dominique talk about the best talking tips when you’re asked about your illness/disability on an interview or with coworkers, the reason knowing LOTS of people get rejected on interviews can help you grow, how to find your voice in the workforce as someone with health struggles, discuss the stigmas young people with illness/disability face when looking for jobs and lay out ways to challenge those stigmas by showing your capability, fangirl over University of Oregon and Nike with our pop culture moment, advise you on the pros and cons of working with healthy/able-bodied people when your illness/disability is visible vs invisible, and highlight the guidebook essentials for getting that work-health balance, hustling for a cool resume, and finding job postings that are accessible, virtual and inclusive wherever you live. This episode is a MASTER CLASS in the motivation, true facts, tips and advice on how to find and land a job you want AND fits your needs! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When our nonprofit gets asked about what kinds of career paths they’d like to take, a major goal we hear is about turning those Instagram accounts and blogs into a financial income. Yes, we’re talking about professional Instgramers, YouTubers and Bloggers, the new dream career for many 21st century young adults. For those with illness/disability, blogging is a refuge and creative release to connect and learn from others, so we wanted to give out the best advice, tips and insider secrets on being a professional blogger. Our special guest is British lifestyle, fitness and beauty blogger, Ali Hemsley, has also brought awareness to invisible illness to her massive blogging community with her “What You See vs What You Don’t See” and showed beauty from the inside and out. In this episode, Ali and Dominique reveal the reasons media’s fascination with inspiration porn or Instagram-promoted health kicks are not always the best but mental health awareness jewelry should be sold everywhere, discuss the stigmas bloggers with illness/disability face and ways to break the pressures of “perfection” blogging that women tackle, establish the best life playlist for wannabe pro-bloggers with the top fashion and adaptive workout trends and tools/apps for photo editing, scheduling and blog posting, and give away some of the top secret blogger tips like talking to brand sponsors and collaborations to make that transition from a hobby to a career. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After a bit of a hiatus while the InvisiYouth team wraps up building another NEW VIRTUAL PROGRAM, we got Dominique back in the studio for another episode in our career-finding guidebook theme. We know the drama arts is an interest for the illness/disability community, and many of the InvisiYouth family live with physical difference, so we wanted a guest expert that knows a thing or two about body positivity and fighting stigmas on disability. So…we got our Celebrity Ambassador, the stellar British actress and disability activist, Melissa Johns. She’s had TV roles like Imogen Pascoe on ITV’s British Soap, Coronation Street, to her current stage role of Emilia in OthelloMacbeth at London’s Lyric Hammersmith. Born without her right hand and forearm, Melissa has lots of perspectives on getting into the acting industry, being a drama teacher, and cofounding a drama workshops nonprofit, TripleC, which enhances lives of people with disabilities. In this episode, Melissa and Dominique chat all about the misconceptions of being an actor with illness/disability and how to “read a room” instead of judging first impressions, build a list of tools anyone can add like to-go snacks, workouts, and organizer diaries if you want to be a balanced working actor, examine the vital reasons accurate casting and frequent representation of illness and disability on TV/film will improve society’s openness, and give away the best advice on maintaining confidence as an actor when between jobs and working with a diverse group of people. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With our second episode in the career-finding guidebook of this themed-group, the focus goes right to entrepreneurship, and all of you young adults that want to build your own businesses. Because really…who could make a better understanding supervisor about balancing work and health struggles than you as the boss? And this episode gets to be fun for two reasons: our special guest is in-studio, AND like our founder, she’s a fellow #bosslady friend named Emily Levy. As the CEO of Mighty Well, a line of fashionably functional medical accessories, Emily as learned the ropes of building a company while also balancing her Neurological Lyme Disease, and she’s only 24 years old. In this episode, Dominique and Emily talk about the best health hacks of organizing that work and medical schedule—with lots of timer-reminders and color-coordination, the differences between going solo vs having co-founders when you are an owner with illness, how to chat up AND rock your spoonie boss status with those questioning how you can “do it all” with illness/disability, the powers behind inclusive representation in hiring anyone from employees to interns and volunteers that have all sorts of illnesses, and giving out tips on how to take your passions to motivate your work when you’re having back health days—whether that’s having a back-up plan of working from bed, or building days of rest into the company schedule. It’s a girl power episode with #InvisiYouth today, and it’s one that’s jam-packed with fun and facts till the very last second. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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