Jamiel D. Owens - Creator/Host of “The Ausome show” : Co-host of “The Ben and J show” : Autism Father/Advocate As a Father of a 12 year old who is on the Autism spectrum, Jamiel Owens is truly an advocate for his son Shayne and other Autism parents. "The Ausome show” has inspired Jamiel to take up his space as a dedicated father and activist through his interaction with others. The Ausome show has also paved the way for Jamiel's presence as an African-American father of a child with special need...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Daniel is the Founder of Special Strong which is Adaptive & Inclusive Fitness Training for people with mental, physical, and cognitive challenges including Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, rare genetic conditions, and many more conditions. In this episode you will learn about Daniels heart for the special needs community, the history behind special strong, and benefits that he see’s come to fruition as his clients adopt a healthy lifestyle. www.specialstrong.com Our...
Oct 14, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Karen brings great perspectives from the standpoints of both a “Special Needs Grandmother” as well as a “Special Needs Sibling.” Karen is John’s Mom (Mabry’s Grandmother), and has a sister with special needs. In this episode, you will get a picture of what it looked like for Special Needs Families in the 1950’s, what the options (or lack there of) were back then, and what the transition from sibling to caregiver entails. And then, you get to hear the Love, the Joy, and the Concerns from the pers...
Oct 07, 2020•57 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Rebecca is an Experienced Professional and Entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of working in the mental health care industry. Rebecca has extensive experience supporting individuals with multi-diagnosis that present with varying behavioral needs. She offers a wealth of knowledge and hands on experience working in public and private sectors in clinical and educational settings. Rebecca believes in education for all and has a passion to help improve others' quality of life. With determination...
Sep 30, 2020•46 min•Ep. 17
Alejandra “Ale” Lozano is a construction management major at Oklahoma State University. Ale’s twin sister, Ashley, has Autism, and we dive into her relationship with her sister ... her struggles growing up as a special needs sibling ... and her hopes and dreams for Ashley’s future. You will catch a spark of Ale’s passion as you hear her talk about her plans for developing quality affordable housing for special needs adults, which would help Ashley and so many like her. Watch out ... this girl is...
Sep 23, 2020•57 min•Ep. 16
6 ½ years after being homeless, Garrain is now a serial entrepreneur who motivates and inspires thousands. The knowledge he gained while being shaped and molded sent him down the pathway to become a Transformation Coach. He is an advocate for living a healthy life. He is a business coach, speaker, and author of the newly released book, “ Change Your Mindset Change Your Life .” You can view the full length video interview at https://youtu.be/Cl27hH5JD_Y - you can learn more about Garrain at www.g...
Sep 16, 2020•54 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In this episode, we interview Greg Hannah with Villanova University. Greg runs a program called LEVEL, where they focus on creating a socially inclusive college campus for students with disabilities. This conversation is sure to inspire Parents of students who have disabilities or have a desire to work with those with disabilities. Greg’s passion will get anyone fired up! You can view the full length video interview at https://youtu.be/HzCIbGo9qh0 And you can learn more about LEVEL at https://ww...
Sep 08, 2020•53 min•Season 2Ep. 14
In this episode, we share about Life Since Season 1 … and discuss the hard topics that are at the forefront of our society today. This episode is slightly different than most in that our focus is not on our special needs world. Instead, we felt compelled to “speak up” and share our hearts about other topics such as social injustice. We announce that Season 2 will also be on our YouTube Channel! You will be able to find the video recording of our Podcast, along with the full length video intervie...
Sep 02, 2020•55 min•Season 2Ep. 13
This is another episode filled with real stories, laughter, and a couple of hard realities. John and Amy play another round of The Newlywed Game (20 year edition), and answer some questions that listeners have sent in. We also announce our off-season project, which will be a weekly episode that John and Amy will post on their YouTube Channel. These episodes will sound a lot like the John & Amy segments of their podcast mixed with the craziness of their household. You can find and subscribe t...
Apr 22, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 12
We sit down with the Founder and President of Hugs Café, Ruth Thompson. Ruth shares the story of how she found her love for working with the Special Needs community in Colorado, and how she paved the way for a new community in Texas. She has a heart to help people with “special abilities” thrive and grow, and has helped build an amazing platform for them to do just that. The mission of Hugs Café Inc is to enhance the lives of adults with special needs through training and employment. It is our p...
Apr 14, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Meghan grew up with an older Sister, Amanda, with Special Needs. We often talk about Siblings of Special Needs being the true heroes in our families, and Meghan gives great insight to what that looks like. Hearing the stories of joys and challenges as they grew up together paints a great picture of what many of our families look like. And, we discuss what it’s like for Siblings to plan for the future. When asked about what it was like growing up with Amanda, Meghan says, “I don’t feel cheated at...
Apr 08, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Jamie and Amy have been Best Friends since 9th Grade. Like each other’s Maid-of-Honor, by each other’s side during kids, share a bed on vacation kind of Best Friends. Jamie hosts the very popular podcast “The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey” and travels the globe ministering to Women. This episode is full of laughs, but dives deep into the importance of Friendship for Families with Special Needs … and really everyone for that matter. Amy discusses the importance of having a friend to call on during t...
Mar 30, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Jeremy shares the story of his daughter, Caleigh, and the journey through her diagnosis. It’s great to hear from a Special Needs Dad as we discuss things like: the differences in the grieving process between Mom’s and Dad’s, and advice for Dad’s going through a new diagnosis. We also discuss the importance of inclusion throughout our communities and school systems. Jeremy sums up their story by saying, “At first it didn’t feel like it, but it’s made our lives better. It’s made our kids better pe...
Mar 25, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 8
Gwen’s nephew, Luke was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome shortly after birth. We love hearing about Luke’s personality, his joy, and the love that he brings to everyone that knows him. And, we feel the pride and admiration that Gwen (Aunt G.) has for Luke as she tells his story. Gwen gives a great perspective on what it’s like to be a part of The Village to her sisters family, and gives great advice to other families who find theirselves in a similar role. “They’re working through something ...
Mar 18, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 7
After a quick round of “The Newlywed Game” (fun for a couple married almost 20 years), John and Amy address real life questions sent in by listeners. Here are a few of the questions that they dive in to: “John talked about small talk and when the conversation has no choice but to go to Mabry’s diagnosis. You mentioned some people say, “I’m Sorry.” What is an appropriate and appreciated response?” “I love your playful marriage…I bet you have to work at it…have you been to counseling? Any tips? Ho...
Mar 11, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Episode 5 is our first “non-special needs” related episode. We sit down with the Executive Director of Cul2vate Farms, Joey Lankford. Joey has a special place in the Gayhart family, as he is the person responsible for setting John and Amy up on their first date!! This episode will share a couple of laughs, as John, Amy, and Joey reminisce about some fun times in College. Joey shares his story as a Faith Jumper, as he went from Corporate to Missionary. After becoming the COO of a successful compa...
Mar 03, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In Episode 4, we continue our conversation with Andrea Mitchell. We discuss some hard topics such as: the impact that having a child with special needs impacts the planning of having more children and the long-term outlook that the Mitchell family has for Ella. The highlight of our conversation with Andrea happens in the last 10-15 minutes of this episode when Andrea is asked the question (paraphrased): “What advice would you give to a Mom facing a brand new diagnosis.” You will not want to miss...
Feb 25, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In Episode 3, Andrea Mitchell shares the journey of her and her husband, Joe, as their firstborn was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Their daughter, Ella, is now the oldest of 3… and we hear the impact and role that she plays in the Mitchell family from Andrea’s perspective. Andrea also teaches us a bit about what Cerebral Palsy is and what it is not. This episode dives into the challenges that Special Needs Families have in keeping friends, as Andrea, Amy, and John share the hurt and disappointm...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In Episode 2, John and Amy interview Special Needs Mama, Dawnda Daniel. Dawnda tells us the story of her son, Coulter, and his diagnosis of Smith-Magenis Syndrome. We learn about the importance of a Mother’s intuition, challenging dynamics of a special needs family, and various support groups that this family has found along the way. Here are links to the organizations discussed in this episode: PRISMS – www.prisms.org Sib Shop – www.siblingsupport.org Here’s the link to the science project that...
Feb 12, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In Episode 1, John and Amy introduce the Gayhart family and the inspiration for The Totally Worth It Podcast. They give a snapshot of the journey with their special needs daughter, Mabry. And, they layout expectations and dreams of what listeners will get from future episodes of this Podcast. You’ll also hear an introduction to the separate non-profits that John and Amy are involved in, as well as other activities that keep John and Amy busy. Blue Sky Therapeutic Riding & Respite – www.blues...
Feb 05, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Even though life's not always easy, it's Totally Worth It. To get ahold of John or Amy, you can find them on their website https://www.totallyworthitpodcast.com/ or email them at johnandamy@totallyworthitpodcast.com.
Jan 29, 2020•1 min
