The Stuttering Springboard

Please join me in listening to this very emotional, educational and authentic podcast on what it's like to be a person who stutters in the dating world....  and what it's like to date a person who stutters.  Our very own Jack Nolan and his wonderful girlfriend, Arianna Einsig, share their experience in meeting each other, learning about each other and accepting each other for who they are.

Meet Andrew Snedeker, Kavin Rafferty and Conor Quinn, three young adults who stutter who boldly and bravely gave speeches at the recent Stuttering Springboard Fundraiser. Listen as our podcast guests share their approaches to preparing for the speech and getting up the courage to speak to a large audience about their journey.  The fundraiser event  on November 21st was very special in that many of the people who attended learned a lot about stuttering and how to give people who stutter the time and space to communicate. We're over halfway to our goal of raising 50,000 for the Clonakilty Stuttering Leadership Exchange.This trip is a unique opportunity for young people who stutter (ages 18-35) from the United States to come together and travel to Ireland in August 2025. Our goal is to empower individuals who stutter by enhancing leadership skills, building an international network, and raising awareness to destigmatize stuttering.

Today, October 22, 2024, leaders from Ireland and the United States gathered to recognize the significance of international Stuttering Awareness Day, a day that reminds us of the profound impact stuttering can have on individuals, and families. Stuttering affects millions, transcending borders, cultures, and ages.Awareness is the first step toward understanding. By observing this day, we foster an environment where conversations about stuttering can flourish, where bullying is not accepted and where verbal differences are tolerated and respected.To recognize this day, we brought together leaders to discuss the importance of leadership in dismantling the stigma associated with stuttering, accepting people with disorders such as stuttering and giving them the space to share their voice. We were pleased to have Bertie Ahern, the former Irish Prime Minister from Ireland, lead this discussion. Joining Brian and Bertie for this conversation were, Jamie Googan, Michael Sheehan, Michael O’Shea, Derry Canti and musician Maive Walsh.Enjoy the program!

Jason Heffler is a musician and author whose stories help young readers overcome speech disorders and fears around speaking. Drawing from his own childhood experiences growing up with a stutter, he writes uplifting tales that build confidence in kids who lack self-esteem.As a child, Heffler was cruelly bullied for his stutter, knocking his self-acceptance, but he eventually decided to "own" it rather than be defined by it. This hard-won self-love became the driving inspiration behind his writing career. By day he is a DJ (Fluencee) and leads the operations of EDM.com, the world's leading electronic dance music site, as its Managing Editor.

Meet Greg Beasley, a chiropractor for 31 years and a person who stutters. Greg attended Central Michigan University for his undergraduate studies and Palmer College of Chiropractic for his postgraduate studies. He’s owned and run four successful chiropractic clinics in Michigan and Washington. Within his practice, he makes a point to encourage people of all ages to not let social constructs limit their desires. Greg shares his story of grit and determination and the importance of not letting society tell you who you are and what you can be. Take a listen as Greg and Brian’s energy and passion for shedding the shame and stigma associated with stuttering resonates throughout the podcast.

Brandon, a lifelong person who stutters, is an American politician serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 25th district. Elected in November 2018, he assumed office on December 1, 2018, succeeding his father, Joseph Markosek.Brandon has introduced House Bill 2268, which requires insurance companies to provide speech therapy services to children ages 2- 6, a critical time for a young person who stutters.  The bill has passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate.Take a listen as Brandon shares his journey as a person who stutters, including getting the courage to run for office, and explains the impact of House Bill 2268.  Thanks for what you do Brandon!

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Many of us who stutter feel like speech and language pathologists (SLPs) have been poorly equipped to treat people who stutter.  In fact, many of them shy away from it because of the lack of training they received on stuttering therapy, and because of the emotional and psychological components that need to be addressed to make a difference. In this podcast Kim Sabourin shares how she is helping to shape the SLPs of the future by designing classes that address all aspects of stuttering, including trauma informed care.  An SLP must understand where stuttering is in a kids’ life and the emotional toll it has taken on them. This is a very individualized approach.  Kim also explores educating and involving parents in stuttering therapy.  Kim is a Board-Certified Stuttering Specialist.She is the Founding Program Director of the Master's in Speech Language Pathology program at Saint Elizabeth University in Morristown, New Jersey, including curriculum development, faculty recruitment and management, and student recruitment.  Prior to St Elizabeth's, Kim spent 17 years as a Speech Language Pathologist and Clinical Instructor at Temple University in Philadelphia. Enjoy the listen.

Brian's Key takeaways from the first 38 episodes

Meet Kevin Rafferty, a wealth advisor and special needs financial planner.Kevin is dedicated to providing customized wealth management services and holistic financial planning to a diverse group of clients at GVA Wealth Management.  Kevin is also a person who stutters. In this insightful and in-depth podcast, Brian and Kevin dig deep into Kevin’s journey to become a rising young professional and the impact stuttering has had and still has on his life. They also peel back Kevin’s recent best man speech for his brother. A best man speech is daunting enough when you don’t stutter, now imagine doing it with a stutter!  Take a listen as Kevin shares his preparation and mindset for the event.  Kevin’s message to his former self: speak up when you want to, it may feel safe in the moment not to, but in the long run, you’ll benefit from speaking your mind.Prior to joining GVA, Kevin was a Financial Planner at a prominent financial advisory firm in Conshohocken, PA, where he specialized in wealth management, retirement income strategies, business succession, and special needs planning.He received a B.S. in Finance from Temple University. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys golfing, coaching baseball and traveling. Kevin lives with his wife, Kelly, in Havertown, Pennsylvania.

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Master Sergeant John McDermott is a lifelong stutterer, and currently serves in the United States Air Force. John is stationed at McGuire Air Base in New Jersey. With 15 years of active duty military service, multiple deployments, and four years of experience as a maintenance training instructor, he has built a distinguished military career, demonstrating resilience and leadership at every step.Before his military service, John enjoyed staying involved in the stuttering community. He volunteered with the National Stuttering Association, hosting teen icebreaker workshops that provided a safe space to connect and share common experiences. His dedication to supporting others began even earlier, in his senior year of high school, when he founded a stuttering support group for fellow students.John’s journey is a testament to his unwavering dedication to both his country and the stuttering community. His contributions have made a lasting impact, and he continues to serve as a role model for perseverance and service.

Stephen Greene has a beautiful stutter. Through avoidance reduction therapy, he has reduced the tension and struggle and given his stutter a green light. He has gone from concealment to proudly identifying as a person who stutters. Stephen is a Social Care Worker who is passionate about disability services. He is also the Former Chair of the Irish Stammering Association and currently serves as a Stuttering Peer Support Leader in the ISA.  Stephen is a powerful stuttering advocate that does a lot of awareness and advocacy work on social media, including writing beautiful poems about stuttering. You can follow him on Instagram! @The_Stutterverse

This podcast  with Mark O'Malia ventures deep into the mindset of people who stutter. According to Briqn Nolan, it shook him and moved him up the spectrum of acceptance. Some takeaways to explore: Walk the talk.  Nonone is asking me what it feels like to be a person who stutters.  What happens if it doesn't go away? Get comfortable sitting in discomfort. Engage in your thoughts vs running away from them.  Regarding your stutter: who are you and what are you trying to  tell me? Anything that is human is mentionable.  Anything that is mentionable is manageable!Mark O’Malia, MS, CCC-SLP is the New York Clinic Director for the American Institute for Stuttering (AIS), working with people who stutter across the lifespan since 2017. In addition to his work with AIS, Mark serves on the Board of Directors of Friends: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter, and is an adjunct instructor, teaching graduate level courses in stuttering, cluttering, and other fluency disorders. Being a stutterer himself, Mark is actively involved in the stuttering support community, regularly presenting at national conferences.Mark first came to AIS as a client in 2013, where he discovered and eventually developed a professional passion in collaborating with clients to find their most authentic voice.

In this podcast, Brian Nolan and Steff Lebsack dive deep into the two different “camps” on stuttering therapy, how SLPs are trained to treat people who stutter, disclosure, trauma and more. Like many of the Springboard podcasts…  it gets emotional.Steff Lebsack became a speech-language pathologist because she has an older brother, Jasper, who is a person who stutters. Steff owns Lebsack Speech Therapy, a private speech therapy practice in Denver, Colorado that focuses on the treatment of people who stutter. Steff is part of the adjunct faculty at Baylor University and MSU Denver, teaching the graduate-level Fluency Disorders course. Steff is a PhD student at Idaho State University.Steff is also Chair of the Board of Stamily, an international community, rich in diversity and bound by one shared experience: we stutter.  Stamily aims to innovate, create a safe space, and connect the stuttering community.It’s clear that Steff has her hands into all things stuttering: stuttering  education, the clinical aspect and importantly, the international community around stuttering.  Enjoy the podcast!

Rob Bloom started to stutter at the age of 3.  He is currently a Creative Director for Universal Destinations & Experiences. He creates brand campaigns and content for Universal parks, as well as for iconic events like Halloween Horror Nights. In addition to his role at Universal, Rob moonlights on the independent pro wrestling scene where he portrays the character J. Barrister Goodrich, the world's #1 pro wrestling lawyer. You can learn more about Rob at www.robbloom.com.  This podcast goes from funny, to real and to  real emotional in the journey to become your authentic self.  Take a listen.

Rodney Gabel is a Professor and Founding Director of the Division of Speech and Language Pathology at Binghamton University. Dr. Gabel has 20 years of experience in academia.An expert in stuttering, Gabel owned the Gabel Center for Stuttering Therapy, LLC, a private practice for people who stutter. He has been an active clinician and member of the stuttering community.Gabel has been an active researcher during his career, publishing more than 75 articles and presenting more than 100 papers at professional conferences. In this podcast, Brian and Rod explore the research on how stuttering impacts a person’s perspective on a career, the impact of disclosure on self-confidence, talking about stuttering at home and Rod’s approach to speech therapy.

Zachary Emrich-Muise is a 19 year old Communication Sciences & Disorders major at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Zach, a person who stutters, made a life changing decision to honor the rock in his shoe and go to college to become an SLP.  This young man is part of a new generation of future SLPs who are focusing on mindfulness for people who stutter.  In dissecting the moments directly before, during and after a stutter, Zach describes the feelings of heat and pressure he experienced and then how mindfulness, disclosure and baby steps in avoidance reduction have desensitized his brain and are now creating feelings of peace and Joy.  This is a podcast of hope for those who stutter and education for all of those who don’t.

Audrey Flood is a high school senior at Haverford High in Havertown, PA. As a young person who stutters, Audrey has been self-advocating for years and gaining self-confidence in the process.  She now is preparing for an away from home college experience. Listen as Audrey explains her choices, preferences and feelings about spring-boarding to the next level!

In 2023 John Henrickson published “Life on Delay”, a book about his journey as a person who stutters.  The book is getting National attention as a breakthrough book for all to read, to learn about what it means to be a person who stutters. John is a renowned journalist from the Atlantic, also known for his article about Joe Biden’s stutter.  In this revealing podcast, John’s mom, Ceil Hendrickson, gives her perspective and advice to parents who stutter.