In this episode of Beyond Beautiful, Mandi sits down with Michelle Steiner, a writer, advocate, paraeducator, and photographer who lives with an invisible disability. Throughout her life, Michelle was told she wouldn't be able to attend college, earn a degree, get published, or pursue the career she wanted. Yet she has done all of those things—and more.

Together, Mandi and Michelle explore learning differences, invisible disability, self-advocacy, educational barriers, and the power of believing in yourself when others underestimate you.

This conversation is a reminder that disability does not define our potential, and that sometimes the greatest barriers we face are the expectations others place on us.

Links in This Episode

Buoy Hydration Drops

Michelle's Website

Mandi Mail

Music Credit:

Attribution Code

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Through stories of grief, authenticity, and transformation, Mandi reflects on growing up as a disabled Latina in a culturally Catholic family, the challenges of reconciling faith and sexuality, and the ways God pursued her long before she had language for who she was.

This episode isn't just about coming out. It's about becoming more fully yourself, trusting God's presence through uncertainty, and discovering that authenticity and faith were never meant to be enemies.

Links in this Episode

Buoy Hydration Drops

Music Credit: "Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Together, they explore autism, identity, bullying, masking, authenticity, advocacy, and what it means to reject the idea that disabled people need to be “fixed” in order to belong.

Sam shares his journey of building a successful podcast and nonprofit while embracing his identity as an autistic person and using his platform to challenge stigma surrounding autism and disability.

This conversation also dives into representation, success, self-acceptance, and the importance of creating spaces where disabled people can show up authentically.

Please note: this episode includes a few technology and audio challenges throughout the recording. Mandi also reminds listeners that guests are invited to use the language and frameworks that feel authentic to their lived experiences, even when perspectives may differ from her personal disability justice lens.

Links Mentioned in this Episode

Buoy Hydration Drops

Autism Rocks and Rolls

Beyond Beautiful Collective

Mandi Mail

But surrender isn’t always soft, peaceful, or aesthetically pleasing—it can involve grief, endings, and releasing things that once felt safe.

Mandi opens up about letting go of harmful theology, navigating the loss of relationships that required self-betrayal, surrendering people-pleasing habits, and redefining faith through a lens of authenticity, love, and liberation.

She also explores repentance, redemption, disability theology, and why becoming more of yourself may require shedding masks that others benefited from.

This episode is for anyone navigating change, grief, faith deconstruction, boundaries, and the messy middle of becoming.

Music Credit

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Links Mentioned

Bouy Hydration Drops

Beyond Beautiful Collective

Mandi Mail

Dr. Robb shares his personal journey with alcoholism, recovery, and rebuilding his life, while also unpacking how trauma impacts the brain and why treating root causes—not just symptoms—is critical in the recovery process.

Together, they discuss breaking generational cycles, mental health stigma, practical tools for healing, and finding hope even in life’s darkest moments.

Content Note: This episode includes discussions of addiction, suicide, trauma, mental health struggles, and explicit language. Listener discretion is advised. This conversation is not intended to replace medical advice—please consult your healthcare providers before starting or stopping any treatments or medications.

Episode Links

Dr. Robb Kelly's Website

Dr. Robb's Instagram: @Addiction_Doctor

Bouy Hydration Drops Special Offer

Beyond Beautiful Collective Facebook Group

Mandi's Instagram: Intersectional_Access

Sign Up for Mandi Mail

Mandi challenges society's traditional idea of transformation as changing yourself to become more acceptable - and instead explores what it means to become more fully who you already are.

Through reflections on disability identity, internalized ableism, butterfly metaphors, faith, accessibility, and authentic allyship, Mandi shares how transformation can happen internally, relationally, and collectively.

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Mandi shares her ongoing journey of unlearning internalized ableism, letting go of people-pleasing and masking, and choosing alignment over external validation. This episode invites listeners to consider how transformation begins within - and how we can reimagine both ourselves and the world around us.

Looking Ahead

Season 3 launches May 3rd at 5:00pm EST. This new season will feature a mix of solo reflections and guest interviews, all centered on transformation.

Announcements

• Try Bouy Hydration Drops at a discount
• Access is Sexy: A Mini Script Guide to Naming Access Needs in Dating is available now for $8 at my Website (click "Power the Podcast")
• Virtual Screening: Life After on April 19 | $8 (Purchase Tickets)

Stay Connected

Join the Beyond Beautiful Collective on Facebook

Follow @Intersectional_Access

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Over the past several episodes, we've explored a wide range of topics - including parenthood, employment, culture, sexual health and access, the law, communication, capacity, and boundaries - all through a disability justice lens.

In this solo reflection, Mandi revisits these conversations and explores how they're are all deeply connected through key disability justice principles, including intersectionality, interdependence, and sustainability. This episode is both a look back and an invitation forward - asking you to reflect on what resonated most and to share feedback on types of episodes you'd like to see in the future.

Check out my Website

Get your Movie Ticket

Try Buoy Hydration Drops

Together, they explore what it’s like growing up with a queer, disabled parent and being part of a blended family with three parents. Through their perspectives, this episode centers brotherhood, interdependence, and the many ways family can be defined.

This conversation is grounded in care and consent—focusing on resilience, connection, and joy, while honoring each child’s voice and communication style.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Life After Virtual Screening Tickets

Access is Sexy Mini Script Guide

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Mandi highlights KEEN New York (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now) - a nonprofit that provides free recreational programs for disabled youth. Through sports, movement, and community-building activities, KEEN creates inclusive spaces where disabled youth can build confidence, form relationships, and simply enjoy being kids.

Mandi has a personal connection to KEEN, having worked with the organization for eight years and now serving as Secretary of the Board of Directors. In this episode, she's joined by the Rivera family, who share their experiences with KEEN and the impact the organization has had on their lives.

Ways to Support KEEN New York

• Volunteer with KEEN programs if you are local to NYC
• Donate to support free programming for athletes

Check out the Podcasthon Page for this episode and links to KEEN New York's website.

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Bryanna shares her experience as a Black disabled single mom, including the barriers she faced with a local transportation company that led her to pursue legal action. But this conversation goes beyond litigation. Together, we explore intersectionality, advocacy, parenting, and how society often misunderstands independence when it comes to disabled people.

Released on International Women’s Day, this episode highlights why disabled women — especially disabled women of color — deserve recognition for their leadership, resilience, and advocacy.

Follow me on Instagram: Intersectional_Access

Join the Beyond Beautiful Collective

Get up to 60% off your first Buoy subscription using my Referral Link

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, I sit down with Ceslie Martinico, a 30-year-old blogger living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I, diagnosed at just six months old. Ceslie shares her life, her advocacy, and her deep love for all things Disney — especially Disney Princesses — while offering us a powerful lesson in communication, patience, and presence.

Ceslie uses a Tobi Dynavox communication device, and this conversation required us both to approach the interview differently. As an accommodation, Ceslie requested the exact interview questions in advance so she could thoughtfully prepare her responses in her device. Even with preparation, our conversation required more time — sometimes 30 seconds to a full minute between responses.

And that space?

It matters.

This episode invites you to slow down. To notice how quickly we expect communication to happen. To recognize how much depth we miss when we rush.

Get updates and announcements on Instagram: Intersectional_Access

Join the Beyond Beautiful Collective on Facebook.

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 14 and later with hypopituitarism and adrenal insufficiency at 16, Stephanie has been navigating autoimmune and endocrine conditions since her teens. Now 35, she brings honesty, insight, and deep empathy to what it means to live in a body that doesn’t follow non-disabled rules.

Together, we explore the emotional weight of being unseen, the grief that can accompany shifting identity and capacity, and the resilience and self-advocacy required to move through the world with a non-apparent disability. This episode offers a nuanced and compassionate look at living — and grieving — in the spaces others often overlook.

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

I’m joined by Preston Burger, a neurodivergent self-advocate and multi-hyphenate leader whose work spans higher education, the arts, nonprofit leadership, and disability advocacy. Preston previously served as a CUNY LEADS Advisor at Bronx Community College, where he coached hundreds of students with disabilities and helped advance digital accessibility practices. He currently works with Café Joyeux, a nonprofit café creating meaningful employment for people with disabilities, and Actionplay, an organization providing accessible theater experiences for autistic and neurodivergent teens and adults.

Together, we explore:

• How the “capacity myth” shows up in education, employment, and relationships
• The tension between independence and interdependence
• How neurodivergent and disabled people are redefining value on their own terms

This conversation challenges us to imagine communities where dignity isn’t earned through productivity — and where access, care, and humanity come first.

If you’ve ever felt pressured to prove your worth through output, this episode is for you.

Purchase the exclusive Valentine's Day Digital Reaction Sticker Pack.

Music Credit

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In Beyond Culture, I’m joined by Urmi Hossain—author, speaker, podcast host, and finance professional—for a rich conversation about identity, third-culture experiences, and the quiet labor of self-definition. Drawing from her book Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth from Interracial Struggle and her podcast Stories Beyond Borders, Urmi shares what it means to grow up between cultures, languages, and worlds—and how that shapes self-worth, leadership, and resilience.

Together, we explore culture through a disability justice–informed lens, unpacking how systems, norms, and expectations impact whose identities are affirmed and whose are questioned. This episode invites listeners to reflect on migration, belonging, and the courage it takes to define yourself on your own terms.

If you’ve ever felt “too much” of one thing, “not enough” of another, or caught between worlds, this conversation is for you.

Buy Urmi's Book

Stories Beyond Borders Podcast

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Check out Steven's notebooks and journals via his Amazon Author Page.

Power the Podcast!

Stay connected by joining the Beyond Beautiful Collective.

Attribution Code

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Join the Beyond Beautiful Collective

Music Credit:

Attribution Code

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Together, we explore what it means to raise children while living with a disability, how motherhood reshaped Charlianne’s sense of self, and the lessons she hopes her children carry with them about empathy, resilience, and love. This episode centers disabled parenting not as something to be overcome, but as a powerful, intentional, and meaningful way of being.

Beyond Parenthood invites listeners to rethink who is seen as a “fit” parent, challenge ableist narratives around caregiving, and honor the wisdom disabled parents bring to their families and communities.

Join the Beyond Beautiful Collective!

Music Credit:

Attribution Code

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Together, Mandi and Amar explore disabled people as sexual beings, the systemic barriers that limit access to affirming sexual and reproductive healthcare, the importance of pleasure and bodily autonomy, and how intersecting identities shape experiences of intimacy and desire. This conversation also names the disproportionate rates of sexual trauma and abuse experienced by disabled people and centers the need for trauma-informed, consent-based care.

Beyond the Silence invites listeners to move past discomfort, challenge ableist narratives, and imagine a world where disabled bodies are respected, desired, and fully human.

Join the Beyond Beautiful Collective on Facebook to dive deeper into the conversation!

Music Credit:

Attribution Code

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this reflective season finale, Mandi explores what it means to approach resolutions through a disability justice lens—one that prioritizes care, access, and sustainability over hustle and self-erasure. She shares personal reflections on body image, weight, anxiety, internalized ableism, and the pressure to overperform in order to belong, offering an honest look at how these forces shape disabled lives.

The episode also includes heartfelt gratitude for the community that made Season 1 possible, a sneak peek at Season 2’s upcoming interview-based format, and an invitation to a special virtual vision boarding event rooted in rest, imagination,and collective care.

Rather than pushing listeners toward “new year, new you,” Beyond Resolution offers something more grounding: permission to choose self-compassion, to release ableist expectations, and to move into the new year with intention instead of pressure.

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

We also explore practical ways to create a more inclusive, compassionate holiday season—whether you’re disabled, a caregiver, an ally, or part of an organization planning seasonal programming. You’ll walk away with tools, tips, and resources to help make this time of year more supportive for everyone.

Interested in being a guest on Season 2?

I’m currently offering 45-minute screening calls for potential guests with lived experience, caregivers, allies, and leaders aligned with disability justice values. Book Now

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

As Christians, we often see charity as generosity. But through a justice lens, charity becomes something deeper: returning what was never ours in the first place. This connects directly to disability justice and the ways our systems keep disabled people in poverty.

If you’ve wondered how faith, justice, and disability liberation intersect, this episode is for you.

Please review, share, and consider joining the Beyond Beautiful Collective on Facebook!

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Mandi highlights inspiring examples like The Axis Project, a gym created by and for people with disabilities, and Independent Living Centers across the country that embody disability justice in action. Through these stories, we’ll reflect on how self-determination, creativity, and community are reshaping what equity looks like in practice.

This episode challenges us to dream bigger — not just of being invited in, but of redesigning the room altogether.

Music Credit:

"Basic Implosion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

From convoluted government paperwork to the impossible maze of healthcare and benefits, we look at how bureaucracy keeps people too tired to fight back. We also talk about compassion fatigue — how even our care for others can be exploited — and what the story of The Giving Tree can teach us about sustainable love and boundaries.

You’ll hear how faith, community care, and disability justice offer us a path forward: one rooted in collective care, mutual aid, and the radical act of rest.

Because we weren’t made to burn out — we were made to build together.

Music in this episode credited to:

Basic Implosion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music in this episode credited to:

Basic Implosion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Through story and reflection, she shares her own journey of navigating faith and identity — holding both conservative values and inclusive beliefs — and how Mark 12:30–31 continues to guide her: to love God fully and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Tune in to discover how allyship becomes a reflection of divine love — a love that uplifts, empowers, and liberates.

Music in this episode credited to:

Basic Implosion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music in this episode credited to:

Basic Implosion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music in this episode credited to:

Basic Implosion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music in this episode credited to:

Basic Implosion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music in this episode credited to:

Basic Implosion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/