Transcript
Speaker: Hey friend, I'm so glad you're here. Welcome to oh There You Are. This is the podcast for anyone who's ready to step out of the shadows of self-doubt and into the life they've always dreamed of.
Speaker: I'm your host, Danielle, a wife, mom, and registered nurse who spent way too long believing my voice didn't matter. But guess what? It does, and does yours.
Speaker: If you've been holding back, waiting for the perfect moment, or telling yourself you're not enough, this is your reminder you are more than enough. You've always been enough.
Speaker: Everything you need is already inside you. In this space, we're going to push past fear, stop hitting snooze on life, and start going after what we really want. Each week, I'll bring you solo episodes and interviews with people who had the courage to go first so that you can go next.
Speaker: So grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let's go. And hey, don't forget to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode because we're just getting started. And remember, you're not late.
Speaker: You're right on time. And I can't wait to see where this journey takes us.
Speaker: Hey friend, welcome back to all There You Are. Today i am so honored to be joined by someone incredibly inspiring, Sam Mitchell. Sam is the dynamic voice behind the popular podcast, Autism Rocks and Rolls, and founder of the nonprofit of the same name.
Speaker: At just 19, Sam launched this platform with a powerful mission to remove the stigma around autism and remind us that being different doesn't mean broken.
Speaker: It means beautifully unique. He has interviewed any everyone from family and peers to notable guests, With over 22,000 downloads, a thriving 501c3, and a dedicated advocacy work, Sam is changing the world one episode at a time.
Speaker: So Sam, I'm really happy to have you here. Welcome. And let's dig in and learn some about your journey. okay So hello everyone. My name is Sam Mitchell and I run the podcast Autism Rocks and Rolls. It's a podcast about autism and how we cope with daily struggles that you may or may not understand.
Speaker: Through the podcast, it's grown so much. I developed sponsors, a board of Six members. I'm an event planner in the hometown of mine in the Ashes where I'm from. I also do motivational speaking services. I've spoken a lot of places including Canada, Oklahoma, Orlando three times. And I forgot Canada was twice.
Speaker: I'm out on that. Stewart, Florida and Washington, D.C. I was the keynote speaker in Daniels, West Virginia. I did a work conference in Columbus, Ohio too. But through the podcast, what I'm really trying to do is change a stigma of a population. in my view...
Speaker: has got ignored way too often, or gets ridiculed for the most ridiculous reasons alive. Wow, that is so neat that you've had the opportunity to shine light in so many awesome places.
Speaker: You should really hold your head up high. That's really exciting. Trust me, my head yeah i as hell my head's been low too long. It's still not the highest for me, but we're getting there.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, it's all about one day at a time, is it not? yeah Can't go wrong there. I'll go testify on that one.
Speaker: I love it. So like 19 years old, you took a big, you know, jump and a leap like and just having the courage to put yourself out there. Obviously, having autism yourself. Was there something else that really prompted you? Like, I really want to share this message with the world.
Speaker: Well, the Elite started to actually way before that started a long, long time ago. It started in school, actually, and I was still grade school. 16, I was a sophomore in high school, and I began my high school's media club. It wasn't a class. It was a club.
Speaker: And I fell in love with the podcasting so much, I decided to start my own podcast. didn't want wait till college to expand my media skills. And that was when Autism Rocks and Rolls was born. I just saw an opportunity to finally speak about some stories stories of mine where you had to be there to understand it.
Speaker: And... You had to be there too, or if I explained it and out of the bout, and when it wouldn't make sense. But after a while, actually clicked on very surprisingly.
Speaker: Oh, well, that's really neat. Yes. And it's really cool to kind of see where something can start so small and just one like flicker of an idea. And then you allowed yourself to move forward and then to grow into what you created.
Speaker: Definitely commend yourself. That's awesome. That's do. Let me see you. Yeah, that's great. I know you have shared that you have, um you know, spoken with even famous people out there who, you know, have autism that they might have felt like they couldn't share their story.
Speaker: um You allowed their story then to be shared on your platform. How do you get in touch with those kinds of folks and help them to spread their story? There's a lot of different ways to do it, but the way I mainly do it is through publicist information. I just try to find a publicist, do a lot of research.
Speaker: Sometimes if I get the opportunity to, I will do it through their official Instagram account or Facebook account. They have it. And that's I've gotten the majority of them. Al Snow, funny enough, though, he was through just in a networking event.
Speaker: Well, not networking event. He was more through of a wrestling show, and he actually volunteered, which I thought was hilarious and still cool. Some guests I've had, too, like Mick Foley. It was through just meet meet and greets and a lot of other people helped me behind the scenes.
Speaker: And then a lot of times, too, I did ah other wrestlers through... Just networking, convention wrestling convention. Network wrestling is not thing called that. Wrestling conventions.
Speaker: and And was just talking about my story and telling them who who I am in person and see if they were interested. um That's really special. I love it. just You never knew who you're going to be able to be connected to and defined in life.
Speaker: So, yeah, just reaching out and sharing your story really can go a long way. your... your you know, mission here to bring light to the aut autism and to the world.
Speaker: What is um some common misconceptions about autism that you're out here to help correct? We're broken and we can't do anything. All people on spectrum have the mindset of three-year-olds, which is bogus.
Speaker: There's a population of people with autism. They think of, okay, we can't go to the bathroom on our own. We can't brush our teeth on our own. The only thing we'll probably be able to do is maybe hold your hand.
Speaker: Like it's literally raising a baby all the time. I'm not going to deny there's a population like that, but that's not everybody. There's a population who might be the middle of the road.
Speaker: They might live with their mom and dad the rest their life, but they go work at a restaurant and be a host at Texas Roadhouse.
Speaker: But then there's also people like me. who are very high function, who are not, don't want to say high function, but who have the mindset, ah maybe just socially, developmentally delayed a tad bit. So example would be me. I'm by biologically 22, but mentally i'm with Sam 20 and 19 and just speak, talking about Texas row house. Now makes me want their rolls and maybe some ribs and they're good butter. Isn't that what everybody likes to talk about? They have that cinnamon butter. It's, it's a killer.
Speaker: Yeah. i always tease that sometimes even my own mind, have you ever read that book growing up? If you give a mouse a cookie, i'm not much i'm not so I'm not much of a reader, but my mom might know that book. She's an English teacher, so she'll probably know that.
Speaker: Then I would probably know, darling. Well, it is a book that is a children's book, and it talks about if you give a mouse a cookie, and then the cookie then might remind you of a glass of milk. I haven't read it in a long time, but it's just like whenever you're sharing something that your mind is like, oh, squirrel, and takes you totally to another concept or idea. Oh, I have those moments because of my ADHD.
Speaker: yeah You know, but I think all of us have a piece of that in our lives, do we not? Oh, we probably all do. I used to not be able to go to Texas, Ross, because ah they have peanuts all over the place because I'm allergic to peanuts. And well, if I went there, probably have been blown up like a bubble. But now that they stopped doing that, I can go in there.
Speaker: Yeah, I do remember those days. There was very much, you know, a lot of dust and stuff around there. yeah So with your nonprofit, what are some exciting goals um that you are looking forward to here in the future?
Speaker: Well, I mean, I just hope this can grow one day from a side gig to a full-time gig. Because right now, it just can't pay the bills. And I want it to, but have to get a job. but And yeah that's fine.
Speaker: But I hope it's something i can be interested in, like something with what I'm doing right now. I just wish Autism Rocks and Rolls could be my full-time job. Hopefully one day we'll get there. But it's definitely going to take some time.
Speaker: Yeah. But it's every day. One day being consistent, right? Continue showing up and just finding something that you continue to be so passionate about. um And just keep being you. I just think that's so wonderful.
Speaker: Well, hey, I mean... We've got to start somewhere. i mean, this all started with $70 in a PayPal account. Now it's got over $10,000 in the bank. That says anything. Well, let me tell you, we could definitely all learn a thing um from you. Because I mean, most of us out here starting podcast, you know, we get lost in a little bubble. We have good things to share, um but people just don't know about us yet. Right. And so a lot of this is a labor of love. So I'm really glad you figured out the secret to help push yours forward a little bit.
Speaker: so Well, I know I seem like I got it, but we're still working on it. Sometimes the algorithm doesn't want to cooperate. We're still working with it. I got an intern doing that because trust me, I have no knowledge of the algorithm. All I know is how to edit and make you sound professional.
Speaker: Yeah, i I was listening to some. You have some really great sounds that you pop in there, you know, with your stuff and you do a great job with your podcast. You should be, yes, very proud of yourself.
Speaker: Oh, alex add and that's mainly sometimes I'll add in humor with that. That's a lot of humor stuff. I do sound effects. But laughter is so good for the soul, is it not? oh yeah. That's that's why I survive a lot.
Speaker: There's a lot. There's a lot of laughter in my family. So we got to do something funny with myself. Excellent. So what's some advice that you would offer a young person on the spectrum who wants to use their voice, maybe through art, you know, or speech or to become an advocate for themselves?
Speaker: What's some advice you would give? um Well, I would say some advice I could give is. always like to say this, and this is just my opinion.
Speaker: lot of people don't find people on the spectrum interesting. Or they do find interesting. They're just scared to approach them. Well, that's not the case. There's 8 billion people on Earth. You think every person is going to find you non-interesting?
Speaker: Well, buddy, you're going to be wildly mistaking. Because that's not the case. There's 8 billion people on Earth. That's unrealistic to have that view. Someone's going to find you interesting. It might be someone you'd expect. It could be a World War II veteran.
Speaker: It could be a podcast host. It could be 50-year-old woman. Heck, it could be a one-year-old baby. But someone. And to me, that's enough.
Speaker: I love that. I love that. I hear so much that we share, you know, if we can just impact one person a day, you know, and come across and make them see their worth or help not make them and help them see their worth and discover themselves. I mean, that's a successful day.
Speaker: it really is. I, that's all I want to do because I've been ignored for so long in my life. I finally, you I feel like speak up and just very introverted, but yeah, I can be extroverted.
Speaker: That being said, I still have trust issues and the socializing from the past, it still affects me today. To this day, I prefer not to socialize. i'm always the quiet one because I'm always scared I'll say the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time or what I say won't make sense.
Speaker: And then now we're stuck in a time loop where it's like, uh, okay, what's next?
Speaker: yeah But it sounds like that you found a safe way, though, to be more of an extrovert, right? I mean, you're putting yourself out there and meeting new people all the time.
Speaker: Well, I like to think of it as, well, I like to think of it as I'm just trying to give y'all some knowledge. Well, what kinds of more knowledge would you like to sprinkle upon us at this time? Depends on what you want to hear, but my podcast goes on really the emotional side of autism.
Speaker: But that's what I try to talk about because doctors can tell you all the behaviors, which is great, but I've never been able to hear why are they so interested in this, but their mindset can't turn into something about going out to eat.
Speaker: A doctor can be great and can give you PhD answer, but let's be honest, we're not all PhDs. We want to hear someone from the middle class man or someone who has this experience.
Speaker: Yeah. We want to hear your heart, right? Like what was, what was the drive behind your mission? Like, that's what we have you here to share and to allow others to know how important you are. Right. And your story is.
Speaker: appreciate her. I mean, It's what I want to my friend. It's just wanting to do some good for the world because i've always wanted to do that. And I never had an opportunity to until Autism Rocks and Rolls.
Speaker: Yeah. Well, that's pretty cool. um Let's see. I think that's another question. Can you share a moment whenever you realize just how far you've come, you know, either person or personally or somebody who you might have impacted? Like you can look back and go, wow, look where Sam is at.
Speaker: OK, well, a time I can think of when I did that is is my first speaking engagement in Oklahoma and I had to use the bathroom shocker because my bladder is teeny tiny, but, um, we were also vendors for that conference and we met someone who was on the autism spectrum. He was probably had the mindset of someone who wasn't biologically adult, maybe more of a child, but that's just my view. Maybe I'm wrong completely. This person is not nameless. And I don't know who,
Speaker: who he is completely. I just met him one time. But anyway, he came up to my mother and this is why i was in the bathroom and said, your son gives me hope.
Speaker: That's, that's really, that's really sweet. That's so nice. Yeah. I just wish I could have been here. Yeah, absolutely. So you didn't get the opportunity to speak to him again, to hear it. You're for yourself.
Speaker: No, we were we we we talked again, but I didn't hear that again. I do were would have rather heard that than a toilet flush. I'll be honest there. yeah Well, they say when nature calls, right? When nature but nature calls. And I know something here.
Speaker: You got a similar sign to me compared to what you got right behind you. Does the sign look familiar? oh what do you have? oh Oh, yes, we do. We have the same line up on the wall. That's so fun.
Speaker: Yeah. It's a good one. i I don't play any music, but I listen to a lot of music and I had to work with music in general because of my background in audio. Very nice. Well, my husband is a guitarist, so this is kind of his room and I've overtaken it for my, ah for my podcast recording and he's been playing guitar since he's been young. And my oldest son also likes to play too. So yeah ah I'm so glad you but picked that up. No problem. They're probably thinking though,
Speaker: Dang it, mom.
Speaker: Well, we have to share things, right? And we have to take, you know, we're family. That's what this is about. Hey, sharing's caring. Yes, you are so right. um If there was somebody who felt, you know what, I have been quiet for too long. What advice would you give to them to help them find the courage to come out and share their story?
Speaker: You're just going to have to do it. you're just really going to have to do it. I mean, if people boo you out of the building, they boo you out of the building. So what? Okay.
Speaker: I may, if you go somewhere, there's going to be applause. Not everywhere in this world will boo you again. 8 million people. There's probably a lot more places than people.
Speaker: Not every place in this world is going to boo you.
Speaker: That's really good. Yeah. Yeah. Because we're in, like you said, even not everybody is going to like us, but there is going to be that one person and just having that courage to step out and say, you know what person I'm coming for you.
Speaker: it's That's pretty much all you can do. I come to terms with. Yeah. What do you like to do in your free time? Well, obviously, like I said, before we on air, I came back from the pool. So lot of, I call it country.
Speaker: Hobbies, so swimming, fishing, all that fun stuff. I'd also say I'm a traveler. I've been into traveling ever since I was child. i like to see the world.
Speaker: ah Rock and roll music, so your son and husband can appreciate that. ah Professional rock and roll. love to eat. You know, definitely probably have more of a beer belly than what you expect. But anyway, my favorite food is more of Buffalo wings.
Speaker: Nice, nice. Do you like traditional or do you like to put a different like so flavor and stuff on there? Preferably boneless, but I don't care really.
Speaker: yeah i was I always work well better with the Brahms than the Flats.
Speaker: The Flats are my husband's favorite, but I like the other ones. The Flats aren't my favorite. I don't like digging in between the bones, um but I do like to eat them. I love a, um it's called Sweet Heat.
Speaker: That's my favorite kind. ah now I prefer the hotter the better for me, but I have... There is a limit, but sometimes I'm the idiot that will eat stuff that's way too hot. A great example. Yesterday, i bought this ramen a while back ago, and the first time I made it, I did it completely wrong.
Speaker: Way wrong. It was just bad. The sauce was too hot. Ramen. Couldn't even taste the ramen. Well, the problem was I turned it over. oh oops.
Speaker: Forgot to read the instructions. Read the instructions. enjoyed it a lot more better but gosh dang it was still feeling like I was breathing fire and apparently according to my mom I didn't realize this but she thought i couldn't breathe while was eating it but I thought oh no only and I didn't eat it do you sweat also then whenever you eat the hot stuff and my husband does he'll be like yeah don't be telling my secrets Yeah, I kind of got that from a family. My grandfather's the same way, but... I also, I think, have a sweat problem because I just am a sweater. Let's put that way. I'm surprised if I'm sweating right now that doesn't say anything.
Speaker: um Do I make you nervous? No, you're good. You're good. It's you. It's just me and it's just me in general. like i could literally be sitting on the couch and all of a sudden there's a big puddle of sweat on the couch.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: What um is your next speaking engagement? Do you have anything lined up that you're going to be sharing at next? Well, let me think here. I got some events going on. I've got a poker round coming up in August.
Speaker: And so if you like motorcycles, that's good something to do. We got a summer concert in Pontiac, Illinois. I don't know who's playing, though. We will be doing a special needs night in September at our local pumpkin patch.
Speaker: We also be selling food our pumpkin patch. And then conferences you were talking about. Oh, boy. I don't know how i got this one. Or put myself in a pickle, maybe. I got two back-to-back special education conferences.
Speaker: One in Oklahoma City and then one in Wisconsin. But they're back-to-back because we got one the first week of November. Then one literally the next week.
Speaker: That's exciting. Whenever you go and you, you know, have the opportunity to be the keynote speaker. um What is your favorite tips like that you like to share or information that you're like, I share this at every speaking conference that you could share with us today?
Speaker: Well, it varies because each autism conference or each conference wants something different than the other. I mean, there have been some that wanted business. OK, we'll go the business route. There's someone just here, the podcasting. OK, we'll go the podcasting route.
Speaker: There's some that want to hear about my story. OK, we'll go my story route. There's some want hear about neurodiversity in the workplace. OK, we'll go to the workplace route. It always depends on what the conference wants from me.
Speaker: Because I give people what they want. Which is a good trait and a bad trait. I just may not people please you. But I'll give you something. Yeah. So you can work off the fly. That's nice.
Speaker: Yeah. I try to. But when it comes to daily operations though. That's a little different. I'm pretty much in general. I think a laid back person. But when it comes to autism rocks and rolls.
Speaker: The laid back stops. And I'm. Pretty much a strict, tedious, run-a-tight-ship person. and Very nice. how um How often do you release a new episode?
Speaker: Every 13 days. So count 13 days from the last published day. No, I'm sorry. It used to be 16. We had to go 13 because sponsors didn't like me much after that.
Speaker: But then we moved it back to 16 because thought I said, I'd tell them, listen, I can't do 13. That's too much stress on me. You're going to have to accept 16 you can not stop right now. And I think they finally understood. Okay.
Speaker: He's trying his best. So we got it back to 16 days. So every 16 days. Awesome. So then you don't have to put too much extra pressure on yourself. Oh God. It gives me a lot more time to it. It helps a lot. Absolutely.
Speaker: So if there was somebody out here who was wanting to start a podcast to help share their personal journey, do you have any advice for them? Well, I would say you better figure out some good bandwidth because the kicker is where I'm at in general, the air is great, but our bandwidth kind of stinks because they can do stuff like this.
Speaker: But you would have asked me to use StreamYard or Riverside. I'd have to go to a different place because the bandwidth takes eons and eons to upload. for me.
Speaker: Now, I've heard opposites from other people, but I know it's because it's where they live. huh There's probably better internet and bandwidth in Los Angeles, California compared to a small rural town and in Indiana.
Speaker: Yeah, I understand. Do you have a large population? I mean, I know you said a small town, but what's about your population or where you are? you know? like if I can probably look it up. Just give me a second.
Speaker: Oh, that's right. While you're looking, I'm going tell you, I go ahead. Population. And no, I'm just saying it out loud to myself. Oh, that's okay.
Speaker: While you're looking, I i lived in Arkansas. I went to school after high school, um, for ah Bible college. And I lived in a little town called Elm spring. I'm sure the population's a lot more now, but it was, um,
Speaker: 1,001 at that time. Okay, so i have as sorry, I have as So would late to early two thirty one for twenty twenty three and as of now is currently four six so i would say like late three hundred s to early four hundred That is a very, very small town. And look at the impact that you are making on that place. I'm putting a name on the map for you guys.
Speaker: Yeah, I'm actually kind of surprised. i thought it was less to be honest with you. yeah Well, I'm going to do the stereotypical. Do you guys have a stoplight in your town? A stoplight? Let's see.
Speaker: Yeah, like a red light. Do you have one? we i'm I'm thinking about that. Give minute here. We have a stop sign. I know we have a stop sign. um I can't think of one, no.
Speaker: I'm going to say I hear that a lot of times in the country, you know, smaller towns, that they don't have that. So I just think it's so neat to just to be able to bring cultures, all kinds of cultures together. And that's what I love about podcasting, getting to meet such unique people and to know that we come from every background, but we can come together and make a huge impact together. So, oh, I love that, too. That's why i like podcasting, because each person has their own story.
Speaker: I mean, I've only had one. Here's an exam. This is awful, but I'm trying to prove a point here. I've had one guest on that put, that had to be able to gain bull testicles put on their car.
Speaker: No one else. What? Just her. Okay. And as this guest of mine was bullied and dealt with jerks. Okay.
Speaker: Yeah. It's Yeah, it's just so neat. So I just want to ask you if there, I guess, to kind of wrap things, is there anything about your story? Because we didn't dive a whole lot in. We kind of just talked about, you know, your podcast and things. Is there any light that you would like to shed on any part of your story right now?
Speaker: Well, I'm trying to think here. I've done a 10X talk. We had to virtual because of COVID, but it's still qualified as a 10X talk. It was called Sold console Structure. It's about why those on a spectrum need structure. You can check it out on my website, Autism Rocks and Rolls, which is also a place you can find me. Excuse me.
Speaker: Yeah. ah That's all right. I love it. You know, like I don't do a whole lot of editing unless, you know, like we miss some words along the way, but I just think it's great just to be real raw in the moment and just show up as ourself because I encourage people so much that whatever we need in life, it's already found inside of us.
Speaker: So we don't need to like glam it all up. Right. Right. I know I get it. It's just that I there's a lot of country in me. And that was an example right there.
Speaker: Well, like guess what? There's a lot of country in me, too. So I'm not offended. And I just greatly appreciate that you took the time today to come and to share.
Speaker: And again, to wrap things up, is there anything else that you would like to share with us to give some good insight or positive encouragement to any of our listeners today? Well, I just think this is just the truth of life.
Speaker: If the role could be nice and not act so stupid, and I think we get along so much better, don't you think? 100%. And get rid of our judgment eyes and our judgment hats, right?
Speaker: Yeah, literally. Who cares what people look like and who cares how they think? Seriously. There's big problems to worry about. There's a war going on right now in two countries and you're worried about a guy who wears long hair at that's foolish to think of. Yeah. Worry about that. yeah Worry about the war, not in the long hair.
Speaker: That's right. That's right. Well, again, thank you for showering some inspiration on us on, on today and shedding some light on this topic. And I just want to continue to wish you the best in your endeavors here as you continue to conquer, um you know, all those goals that you are highly succeeding at right now, Sam.
Speaker: Well, I appreciate you letting me come on. nice meeting you. And I hope you all check out my things. Yeah, absolutely. We'll put it down in the show notes so they know where to find you. Okay. Yes, ma'am. Thank you again.
Speaker: Yeah, you're welcome. Thanks so much for hanging out with me today on Oh, There You Are. Remember, everything you need to step into your power is already inside of you.
Speaker: So keep going, friend. You've got this. If today's episode inspired you, Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a new one. And I'd love to connect with you over on Instagram.
Speaker: Find me at itsdanielle.thats.me. Drop say hi let me know what resonated with you or just share your journey. And before you go, I've got something special for you.
Speaker: I'm offering a free seven-day journal online. to help you start tapping into your potential and build that mindset shift. It's designed to guide you through the steps of unlocking your power.
Speaker: You can grab it in the show notes below. Let's take this journey together. All right, friend, go make it happen. And remember, you're not late. You're right on time.
