Disrupt And L.e.a.d.

In the first episode of this special miniseries, I share the foundations for building effective business teams. I discuss the importance of focusing on these foundations, instead of on strategies like popular teamwork tools and performance reviews. This focus will create the right conditions for the team to meet business goals without team burnout. If you want to personalize this to your business team and figure out important next steps, go to FaithClarke.com and schedule a free Team Performance Audit.

In this episode, I close the podcast season with a reflection on 2020 and the invitation that it gave me to step FULLY into my calling. I talk about inclusion, systemic racism, neurodiversity and tokenism and how my children challenged me to make the workplace safe for kids like them. This is a fireside chat about disrupting business as we know it and creating businesses where humans belong and feel like they can thrive. I hope you sign up for the challenge. If you want to talk about this more, connect with me at FaithClarke.com or email faith@melodyofatutism.com.

Sarah is known as the resident extrovert whenever she's out and about. She's the one who sees who's on the outside and pulls them in. She's the person I needed to have at high school parties! Connection is her superpower and she helps people connect in nourishing ways. She is a mom, wife, business owner, podcast host, disability ministry specialist, just to name a few. This superpower helps her navigate her own emotional journey as a special needs mom and disability inclusion advocate. Her business, The Virtual Visionary, her work as a speaker and advocate and her passion for ministry in the local church all showcase her beautiful way of connecting through empathy, engaging in relationship and truly hearing where people are at and what they need. Visit her website at https://thevirtualvisionary.com/ Check out her podcast, A Special Hope, at https://hopeinautism.com/aspecialhopepodcast/

Angie and I had this conversation in 2019 and the world has changed so much since then! Back then, she had 3 kids, now she has 4. Her journey through her photos is breathtaking! Her journey as a parent and business woman, nourishing the complex medical and developmental needs of her kids inspires me to deeper trust in these chaotic times.  Angie, I look forward to catching up and hearing what you are disrupting now! Visit her at https://angiesperspective.com/ and check out her photos on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/angiesperspectivephotography

What to do when you don’t have a model for what you need? Autumn says: - Start with what works for you. - Prioritize peace. - Create the environment that helps you be your best self. - Be an active participant in life. These beliefs lead Autumn to completely change where and how she lived, to give her son the best opportunity to learn and grow. We talked about how far (literally) she was willing to go to help her entire family regulate. She’s separated her kids, bought a farm and moved there with her son with autism, created Thriving He’Art acres and shares her farm and her art with special needs families. She’s wrapping up her book of art meditations that guide readers towards conscious community - connect with self and others. Connect with her at Thrivingheartconnections@gmail.com and visit her at www.thrivingheartconnections.net.

Meet Emma Eppard, a beast at relentless implementation as she homeschools, creates curriculum and supports other moms. Emma has no middle ground. She’s either all in or all out. Her mantra is ‘Let’s do something about it’. She’s integrated her problem solving superpower with her background in education and her husband’s graphic design background into a beautiful curriculum design business, which has lead her to the book she’s currently writing to help parents build crucial skills in their kids. We talk about - the disruption of childhood as an American in Bolivia: she was never the child that fits - Her first born with autism and the intervention approach that she took - How the Rapid Prompting Program helped her son integrate into typical community/family activities and the neurological homeschool group that they participate in - Her guiding principle ‘You can do, dabble or decline’ and how that helps her anchor to her priorities - How to stop ‘shoulding’ and ditch perfect and stay in the moment. - The magic

Edlyn is a catalyst of positive change in the autism community.  We had a beautiful conversation about believing what others can't believe, advocating for our kids voices and presence on a world that does not (yet) fit them. Edlin Peña loves integrating and connecting with autistics and celebrating their voce.  Her core philosophy is that communication is the foundation of connection and she advocated for alternative communication for her son Diego, so that he could be included in age appropriate educational settings. The emergence of Diego's voice revealed his personality and wit, and opened the doors for his own advocacy, as he emerged as a writer and self-advocate within the autism community. If you haven't already, get a copy of his book, the Anatomy of Autism where he talked about the three areas that autism affects him. Edlyn co-founded and is the Director of the Autism and Communication Center at California Lutheran University.  She released her new book, Communication Alternatives in Au

I’ve known Rachel for years... Seriously! There are yearbook pictures of Rachel and I together as pre-teens. Although her son has an undiagnosed neuromuscular disorder, Rachel is committed to 'squeezing every ounce out of life', and has built a practice of finding at least 3 gratitudes every day. Our conversation is full of her wise tidbits that she got from her mom growing up, and other wise mentors in her life. We talk about  watching her mom care for her critically ill grandparents, traveling hours into rural Jamaica with Rachel in tow the experience of her sister's meningitis diagnosis her transition from computer engineering to stay at home mom how she stumbled upon her passion for fundraising and volunteered for catholic charities the combination of action and coincidence that brought her success as a fundraising executive Rachel describes herself as a nurturer at her core. As a certified fund-raising executive she helps non-profits raise money for their organization.  Take some

Sometimes autism interventions are culturally incentive. As 2 mamas of black children, Maria and I talk about a little of what that means.Maria, this amazing mother of three, wife, author, speaker, therapist and America's number one autism advocate for black families - as she likes to call her self- shows us how she created a solution to that problem through Autism in Black, LLC, a business that supports black families in their autism journey and train professionals on being culturally competent within the black disability community.  We talked about: the struggle to get the autism diagnosis and the 'god complex' that can get in the way the need for speedy diagnosis and the loss of time and energy while trying to get it the struggle with labels her fears for her daughter, because of the reality of being black, female and autistic. the importance of culturally sensitive interventions. not 'Fixing' our kids her approach to supporting black families with ASD kids More about Maria Maria is a li

Lacey and I are kindred. She jokingly suggests that it's my glasses but I think it's the way she embraces her story; how she joyfully accepts the difficulty in her life instead of resisting.   What I appreciated most about our talk was  Lacy's honesty. Most things most people would hide away until packaged neatly and topped with a bow she was open about. But as Lacey says, her disruption is the manure she uses to fertilize what matters to her.  A little about Lacey: she's a mom of five teen boys who are all on the autism spectrum (her logical male brains as she likes to call them.) she' an author, a coach, a business woman. she  is an overcomer, navigating life with complex chronic illnesses her favorite song at the moment is Do Something by Matthew West.  If I had to guess I'd say her favorite color is lavender. Lacey loves, loves, loves to help women heal their hearts from self-destructive and compulsive love-based relationship patterns and heal their marriages and fa

I've been super grateful for Ridvan's presence in my family's life. I found her on google! I was looking for a diverse musical theater program that would honor my kids and give them space to grow into themselves. And I found CTC - Peekskill and met Ridvan! She's an occupational therapist, parenting expert, bodywork practitioner. Ridvan Foxhall, occupational therapist, certified parenting educator and, entrepreneur.  Guided by the belief that every individual has a unique contribution to make, Ridvan Foxhall supports, encourages, and empowers children, youth and their families to discover and work towards their highest potential by providing opportunities to engage in creative and therapeutic programs and workshops. Ridvan created CTC & NECS because she was looking for a creative program for her children that valued the process more than the product and was more about developing life skills than just another gimmick to entertain children and make money. In this heart to heart conversation, Ridvan and

Meet Sharon Hijik: Business Leader. Problem Solver. Coach. Mentor. Web Developer. Public Speaker. Teacher. Student. Mom. Wife. Sharon and I met at a conference, recognized our similarity where it mattered: in our hearts. As fellow homeschoolers and entrepreneurs who coach entrepreneurs, we understood the rhythm of life that's our day to day reality. I caught up with Sharon in this episode of Disrupt and LEAD, and got right into the guts of her story, with a few tears as we reflect on how hard the special parenting journey can be, and how much this is WORTH. We talked about: - being a transracial family and supporting African descent children as a Caucasian woman - acknowledging privilege and navigating a culture where we have different types of privilege in our story - being adaptable in our lives instead of being stuck when faced with discomfort - handling the trauma induced developmental needs that her children deal with - seeing opportunity in chaos, and figuring out solutions on the go - combin

Black Eyes Peas! Mumford and Sons! N Sync! The color green! All things Tamara loves! We had a fantastic time discussing Tamara's passion to disrupt the stigmas associated with mental illness. Listen to Tamara share her journey with mental illness, her parenting journey, when she broke up with her son with mental illness and how that transformed their relationship, and how all this fuels her business. Tamara is the two-time international bestselling author of The Magical Business Method and My Kid Is Driving Me Crazy! Her third book, The Blind Leap will be out in June, 2019. Tamara shows struggling entrepreneurs how to clear blocked chakras and discover their “stardust” — that unique gift that too often gets suppressed by parents, early educators and years of grinding out hours at jobs they hate.  Check out her podcast Own Your Intuitive. Connect with Tamara on her website, on her Facebook Page and on Youtube.

“Ma’am, i just want to say, to warn you that he will never say mommy again to you. Prepare your self to put him in an institution. You can’t fix this. There’s nothing you can do” - Lorina's son Zander's autism diagnosis meeting. Meet Lorina - Warrior mama, educator on healthy & holistic wellness and Keto lifestyle.  Lorina runs a successful business, Remedy Blends - Healing with Hope and encourages anyone on their healing journey with a wide variety of tools and strategies. Lorina and I had a beautifully vulnerable conversation about how our families shape us, her family's struggle to get her son Zander's autism diagnosis and the devastating prognosis that they were given, her journey with PTSD and how she is healing herself and her family.  She gives tips on how to handle the disruption you are facing right now and how to change your energy so that you can create space to hope again. Today, her son Zander is an outgoing, funny, empathetic teen. Check out his book to help other kids like him!&nb

Meet Dr. April J. Lisbon: mama, coach strategist, empowerment speaker, author. April and I had a fantastic, vulnerable, intimate conversation one Saturday morning, right in the middle of autism mommy life. We talked about dealing with childhood trauma and her determination to advocate for and protect anyone who needs her help. Her years of experience as a school psychologist and her deep understanding of the parent, child and educational system makes her a powerful advocate and warrior mama for all in need. April helps career oriented autism moms go from feeling mentally overwhelmed and financially helpless to teaching them how to leverage their economic power in order to create a sustainable lifestyle for their autistic child long after they are gone. She has authored three books, “Stretched Thin: Finding Balance Working and Parenting Children with Special Needs”, “Autism in April: A Mother’s Journey During the Tween Years”,and most recently “Unmasking the Trauma: School Bullying & Children with Special

"Life is really about trust. Make a choice to do the thing that you are passionate about and trust that you will be successful, just like you trusted when you first went to work" - Claudine Allen In this episode of Disrupt and LEAD, Dr. Claudine Allen shares her journey from college professor to homeschooling entrepreneur with her 3 kids, ages 9, 7 and 3. I'm pretty excited to share Claudine with you because we have history. Both island girls, I met Claudine in a few programming classes that I taught at the college level. Fast forward several years and she's working at the same university, and has a son with autism. I felt humbled as we swapped stories and shared passions and embraced a deep sense of calling that our families have helped s to see. We talk about the autism diagnosis, self-care, health and the myth that there's nothing we can do about 'it'. Claudine shares her weightloss story and uses it to help women create the space for transformation.   Find out more about her free 5 step weight loss p

In this episode of Disrupt and LEAD, I share the disruption that started it all (in this phase of life, anyway), Jaedon's diagnosis. I talk about the 'shock and awe' of the experience, and the devastating aftermath, and the gradual rebirth that occurred because of this experience. As you listen, think about a disruptive experience you've had. Is there an invitation in the disruption for you? If you enjoyed listening to this episode, join the conversation in the Autistic Biz Tribe. Connect with me. I'd love to hear your story! Email: faith@melodyofautism.com On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ActivateCatalyzeTransform/

There's a movement happening and it's exciting to watch! Many families caring for loved ones with a disability have decided to create life on their own terms by starting businesses that make sense for their lives and support them financially. I'm calling these people, the Autastic Biz Tribe, and this podcast will introduce you to the tribe, and help you join the tribe, when you are ready.  I first heard the word autastic on a video by Autastic Tom, and I fell in love. When I asked Tom about using the word, Autistic, he graciously said, "The word autastic should be used as many times as possible". But what does it mean?  Well, the obvious is the combination of autistic and fantastic. But, on a deeper level, I think it's the celebration of the amazingness of determination and resilience in the face of struggle. So much beauty is born from that place.  I look forward to sharing the Autistic Biz Tribe with you! May you navigate your crazy chaos with courage and step out to create more of what you w