Episodes

How ADHD Shaped a Career in Cancer Research and Health Equity – with Eugene Manley
266
June 29, 2026

How ADHD Shaped a Career in Cancer Research and Health Equity – with Eugene Manley

Dr. Eugene Manley Jr. is a cancer scientist, health equity leader, and longtime patient advocate working at the intersection of biomedical sciences, cancer care, AI ethics, and leadership. As a Black healthcare advocate and founder of SCHEQ (STEMM* & Cancer Health Equity), a nonprofit focused on cancer health equity, Eugene runs an annual lung cancer summit that brings together patients, clinicians, researchers, and industry to co-create solutions to disparities in screening, diagnosis, and trea...
Your voice makes a difference – with Dory and Mike, hosts of the Othering Podcast
265
June 15, 2026

Your voice makes a difference – with Dory and Mike, hosts of the Othering Podcast

As the hosts of the Othering Podcast, Mike and Dory advocate for marginalized communities. Their podcast provides a platform where neurodivergent, disabled and LGBTQ+ people can share their stories. During this episode, you will hear Dory and Mike talk about: Why they started the Othering Podcast, and how they came up with the name of the show Sharing their own lived experiences of neurodivergence and disability on their podcast How they select their podcast guests and topics Why is it important...
Job searching for Black, Disabled, LGBTQ+ folks – with Jasmine Williams-Jacobs, Black Remote She
264
June 1, 2026

Job searching for Black, Disabled, LGBTQ+ folks – with Jasmine Williams-Jacobs, Black Remote She

Jasmine Williams-Jacobs is the founder and director of Black Remote She, a community-driven platform for Black queer, trans, non-binary, disabled people and allies interested in working and connecting remotely. Black Remote She connects community members to remote-flexible job postings at equitable work cultures, as well as to liberatory networks, mutual aid support and gender-affirming resources as tools for economic empowerment. Black Remote She has been recognized in numerous publications, in...
Changing the narrative around accessible fashion with Maura Horton - Crossover episode with Made For Us
263
May 25, 2026

Changing the narrative around accessible fashion with Maura Horton - Crossover episode with Made For Us

A special crossover episode with Made For Us, a podcast that explores the intersection of innovation and inclusion.
Learning to read at age 32 – with Oliver James, author of Unread
262
May 18, 2026

Learning to read at age 32 – with Oliver James, author of Unread

Oliver James is a California-based personal trainer, motivational speaker, literacy activist, and influencer. He has been featured by Today, NPR, the Jennifer Hudson Show, the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Rachael Ray, and ABC News, among many others. Additionally, he received the Barbara Bush National Literacy Award in 2023. Oliver is the author of "Unread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) to Read on TikTok." His book is about teaching himself to read starting at the age of 32, and his experien...
Art and Disability Advocacy – with Justin Valenti
261
May 4, 2026

Art and Disability Advocacy – with Justin Valenti

Justin Valenti is an artist and disability advocate. He enjoys creating artwork in his home studio and at the VisAbility Art Lab at VisArts in Rockville, Maryland. He is also the business owner of Artistic Expressions by Justin K Valenti, and has exhibited his artwork in Maryland, Virginia and California. Justin has been an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities since childhood. He has been on the Board of Directors for the Arc Maryland since 2020. During this episo...
Sharing autistic people's stories – with Amy Richards of the Squarepeg podcast
260
April 27, 2026

Sharing autistic people's stories – with Amy Richards of the Squarepeg podcast

Amy Richards is a queer autistic podcaster and business owner from Cardiff in the UK. Amy became self-employed in 2015, after multiple burnouts culminated in a breakdown that ended her previous career as a high school English and Media teacher. With her business hat on, she offers business strategy sessions, builds websites and supports online business owners with their websites, email marketing and automation. In 2020, Amy started a podcast called Squarepeg, where she chats with one autistic gu...
From Undercover Boss to children's book author – with autistic advocate Pastiche Graham
259
April 20, 2026

From Undercover Boss to children's book author – with autistic advocate Pastiche Graham

Autistic advocate Pastiche Graham talks about appearing on the CBS TV show Undercover Boss, and the inspiration for Pastiche's book, “Pia Pistachio Gets a Job.” Pastiche also discusses the importance of autism representation: specifically for autistic women and girls in literature, and for autistic adults in the workplace.
Connecting disabled leaders and advocates – with Max Barrows
258
April 13, 2026

Connecting disabled leaders and advocates – with Max Barrows

Max Barrows is an award-winning disability rights leader and advocate based in Vermont. As the Outreach Director for Green Mountain Self-Advocates, Max mentors people with developmental disabilities to speak up for themselves and become leaders. Max is also the Assistant Director of Technical Assistance and Outreach for the Self-Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC), where he works to strengthen local and state self-advocacy organizations across the United States. During thi...
Neurodivergence and corporate leadership – with Kirsty Cullen-Campanelli
257
April 6, 2026

Neurodivergence and corporate leadership – with Kirsty Cullen-Campanelli

Kirsty Cullen-Campanelli shares what life is like for her as an autistic corporate executive with ADHD, which includes creating inclusive workplace cultures, managing teams, conducting job interviews, and navigating high-pressure environments.
Fashion model & artist with Down syndrome - Sania Khimji
256
March 23, 2026

Fashion model & artist with Down syndrome - Sania Khimji

India's first model with Down syndrome shares her story.
Living with Dyscalculia – with Ivy Rizzo
254
March 9, 2026

Living with Dyscalculia – with Ivy Rizzo

Psychotherapist Ivy Rizzo has a master's degree, speaks multiple languages, and owns her own business... but she struggles with doing basic math, remembering important dates, and recalling events in chronological order. Dyscalculia is often dismissed as just being "bad at math," but for Ivy, it has a wide-ranging effect on her life. In this episode, Ivy talks about: How the severity of her dyscalculia impacts her math, memory and sequencing skills What it was like for her growing up with dyscalc...
Schizoaffective disorder – with Sonido Reyes
253
Feb. 23, 2026

Schizoaffective disorder – with Sonido Reyes

For years, Sonido Reyes experienced paranoia and hallucinations in silence, due to the stigma of mental illness and "not being ok." Now, they try to be open about their lived experience of schizoaffective disorder to ensure no one else has to struggle alone.
Neurodivergent communication differences – with Patti Kasper
252
Feb. 9, 2026

Neurodivergent communication differences – with Patti Kasper

This episode is a special collaboration between Beyond 6 Seconds and the Living with FASD podcast hosted by Patti Kasper. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are lifelong conditions caused by prenatal alcohol exposure that can impact physical, cognitive, and behavioral development. FASD is a type of neurodivergence, but it's often left out of conversations about neurodivergence. This episode is part of a series that Patti is doing on her podcast to help bring FASD into those conversations. W...
Disability Community for Democracy – with Nieta Greene
251
Jan. 26, 2026

Disability Community for Democracy – with Nieta Greene

Nieta and I discuss systemic challenges that disabled people face in the United States (e.g., in employment, healthcare, housing), how politics impacts those challenges, and the importance of increasing the disability community’s political power in the United States.
2025 year-end episode
250
Dec. 22, 2025

2025 year-end episode

In this year-end solo episode, I celebrate some big milestones that Beyond 6 Seconds achieved in 2025, highlight the variety of topics that my guests and I discussed on my podcast, and share what podcasting-related things I've been up to this year! I also reflect on several challenges that the neurodivergent and disability communities are facing in the United States, and share my focus for the year ahead. Watch the video of this interview on YouTube. Read the episode transcript , which also cont...
The Introverted Misfit – with Caroline Smith
249
Dec. 8, 2025

The Introverted Misfit – with Caroline Smith

Caroline Smith founded her business, The Introverted Misfit, to help shy, awkward introverts become socially confident versions of themselves so they can have healthy, manageable social lives. Because of her experience with being autistic, which was the source of many social difficulties and major social anxiety for her, she knows what it's like to build self-acceptance, self-improvement, and a life that works for individualized needs. Now Caroline helps fellow introverts (whether they are autis...
Deafness, Disability and Mental Health – with Kellina Powell
248
Nov. 24, 2025

Deafness, Disability and Mental Health – with Kellina Powell

Kellina Powell, known as the Deaf Queen Boss, is a podcast speaker, best-selling author, and passionate advocate for the deaf and disability communities. She empowers young adults with disabilities to chase their dreams, breaks down barriers around mental health, and educates others about deaf culture and inclusion. During this episode, you will hear Kellina talk about: What it was like for her to grow up deaf from an early age, and her exposure to deaf culture How she educates people about the ...
A Day with No Words – Nonspeaking autism representation with Tiffany Hammond
247
Nov. 10, 2025

A Day with No Words – Nonspeaking autism representation with Tiffany Hammond

Tiffany Hammond is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and disability advocate. She is the author of A Day with No Words, a picture book about a Black mother and son who use a tablet to communicate with each other and the world around them. A Day With No Words successfully normalizes communication methods outside of verbal speech and provides representation of neurodiversity and autism in a way that affirms and celebrates. Through Tiffany's platform, Fidgets and Fries, she shares stori...
Advocating for dyslexic students – with Sabrina Fandell
246
Oct. 27, 2025

Advocating for dyslexic students – with Sabrina Fandell

As a dyslexic child, Sabrina Fandell had to sit in her school's book closet for her reading lessons. Now she sits on the Board of Directors of the International Dyslexia Association - Dallas Branch. She is passionate about fostering inclusive environments and advocating for neurodivergent students in school.
Ava N. Simmons — STEM entrepreneur and toy designer with dyslexia and dysgraphia
245
Oct. 13, 2025

Ava N. Simmons — STEM entrepreneur and toy designer with dyslexia and dysgraphia

Ava N. Simmons, a young entrepreneur and PBS Kids show host with dyslexia and dysgraphia, describes how her educational toy brand Team Genius Squad gets kids excited about STEM and STEAM.
Deaf and OCD representation in audio drama — with Caroline Mincks of Seen and Not Heard
244
Sept. 29, 2025

Deaf and OCD representation in audio drama — with Caroline Mincks of Seen and Not Heard

Caroline Mincks shares how their own experience with hearing loss in adulthood and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) inspired them to create the audio drama Seen and Not Heard, the importance of challenging misconceptions about deafness and OCD, and the impact of authentic disability representation in media.
Living with schizoaffective disorder – with Sally Littlefield
243
Sept. 15, 2025

Living with schizoaffective disorder – with Sally Littlefield

Sally shares her experience of hospitalizations, misdiagnosis, and a 10-month long psychotic episode where she believed her life was a hyperreality psychological experiment. She also talks about finally accepting her diagnosis, as well as the importance of reducing stigma and promoting understanding, dignity and empathy for people with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses.