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Against All Odds Podcast, The Less than 1% Chance with Maria Aponte
Maria highlights stories of people that have been the "less than 1% chance" and have come out of their situations thriving and seeing life as happening FOR them and not TO them! Inspiring and empowering stories that will show you that against all odds you can make it through anything!
Against All Odds Podcast, The Less than 1% Chance with Maria Aponte
Redefining Autism and Success with Sam Mitchell
Ever wondered how someone can transform adversity into triumph? This episode brings you the incredible story of Sam Mitchell, the young entrepreneur behind the hit podcast "Autism Rocks and Rolls." Sam opens up about his experiences with autism and bullying, and how these challenges ignited a powerful drive for success within him. From feelings of exclusion to hosting big names like Monty Williams and WWE legend Mick Foley, Sam’s journey is a testament to resilience and self-belief. You'll be inspired by his ability to turn life's hurdles into stepping stones toward remarkable achievements.
Get ready to be moved by Sam's passion for rock and roll, his advocacy work, and his latest ventures. Sam shares his excitement about his upcoming role at a local radio station in Bedford, Indiana, and talks about his nonprofit initiatives that promote autism acceptance. From organizing galas to planning future events like motorcycle poker runs and concerts, Sam is making waves in the community. We also celebrate his accolades, such as reaching the top 10 in the People's Choice Podcast Awards and winning a Davey Award. Join us as we highlight Sam's mission to make a positive impact through openness, advocacy, and, of course, rocking and rolling!
Instagram: @autismrocksandrollspod
Podcast: trickles.podbean.com
Website: autismrocksandrolls.com
TedTalk: Souled Structure
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Welcome back to the Against All Odds the Less Than 1% Chance podcast with your host, maria Aponte, where we will hear stories of incredible people thriving against all odds, and my hope is that we can all see how life is always happening for us, even when we are the Less Than 1% Chance. Hey, hey, welcome back to Against All Odds the Less Than 1% Chance podcast with your host, maria Aponte. I am so excited to bring you this amazing human being on today. I was able to get to know him a little bit from the information that he sent, so I am really excited for you guys to hear his story. So this is Sam Mitchell.
Speaker 1:He runs a successful podcast called Autism Rocks and Rolls. He has autism himself and his podcast has exploded and become very successful. He wants to spread the mission of his podcast and his nonprofit. Big names on his show are Monty Williams, who was the first NASCAR driver to open up about having autism, an American Idol rocker, james Durbin, who has autism, and Tourette's. His biggest guest so far was Dr Temple Grandin, which is the professor in animal science at Colorado State University and an autism activist, and he had even WWE legend Mick Foley on his show, and much more to come.
Speaker 1:He's a motivational speaker, entrepreneur. He has published a TED Talk called Sold Structure, and so he's a high functioning human being on the autism spectrum, but has a mission to show people that he is not broken, does not need to be fixed. There's no normal in this world I could attest to that and he is successful with autism and he celebrates the successes of all people. He embraces who he is and feels as though everyone should do the same. His mission is powerful and extraordinary. An extraordinary idea is this catching on and getting the world's attention. So I'm so excited to have him here. Welcome, sam, to Against All Odds.
Speaker 2:Thank you, good to be here.
Speaker 1:That's amazing information. I'm so excited. So what does having autism mean to you?
Speaker 2:Well, we all have our different perceptions on it, but my mother and I do specifically, but my view, it's a different way of thinking.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I see it as a neurological condition which is bogus because I'm doing fine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely yeah, and that in itself is against all odds. It's. It's crazy what happens when we're diagnosed with something that is supposed to be like this is the box, and we are so not in that box. So kudos to you and having the like nope, not me, this could be a diagnosis that doesn't have to affect me in that way. So how has bullying affected you throughout your life and today?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I have been bullied in my life. I was bullied pretty much through life, except my mom wasn't like kicking the shins each day, it was exclusion. And you can't send a kid to the office for excluding. Although I wish I could, I could see why you don't. It's just not there at the end of the day. But the way it's affecting me today is I have severe trust issues. I don't trust anyone that even goes for blood.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and that's hard when you feel like you've been burned a lot and and it's learning how to open yourself back up, and that's not an easy thing to do. And so what shift happened so that you started seeing that light at the end of the tunnel for your journey?
Speaker 2:well, the shift happened really when I was 16. The shift happened out of I hate to say this, but vengeance and anger. I was just over it. Yeah, I was un people pleasing. I'm not a charismatic me. If you boo me, you boo me yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:May I ask how old you are?
Speaker 2:21.
Speaker 1:21. That's awesome. So you are a young entrepreneur. That is amazing. And how do you feel like? You survived all of this and you've gone through a lot. How do you feel like, how did you make it against all odds?
Speaker 2:Well, I made it against all odds because I probably, to society, would be in the basement right now playing video games, not doing an interview, or have me on 900 podcasts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. And looking back, do you feel like you see, maybe all the things that you went through, how life happened for you rather than to you?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, maybe I'm not for sure on that one life happened to me. I feel like part of it was me, though, taking opportunities, because no one gave them to me. It was a to me, but it was me taking them, not hand-gifting them to me. Some people that nominated me. That was for me. I can say that one was a four, but the two. The 900 podcast, that's a two. Getting Mick Foley on is a two.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Kane two. Like winning the Damien Awards, that's a two. So most of it is to me, because of me. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and I think that, in the way that I like to view things, it's, and I've been through a lot of experiences, which is why that I've beaten the odds myself, and so I had to learn how to look at life a little bit differently, because I could see I had cancer at 18 and I could look at it as life was happening to me, and I could look at it as life was happening to me.
Speaker 1:But if I look at how life is happening for me now, I get to help people with my own experience and I feel like just listening to your story, the experience that you went through has made you number one, a better person. You include people, so you don't want to feel, you don't want people to feel excluded, so you celebrate people and the fact that probably made you stronger, and even if it was originally from vengeance, look at where you are now and how far you've come, and I feel like sometimes we need to get to those places in life where we're pushed to the edge so that, like, we can come up as the that bigger, better version of us. And you're showing any diagnosis, any doctor, anything that wasn't giving you that opportunity because of what you were diagnosed with. You're showing them, see, I could do this, and more than what you ever thought. And that's I feel like life happening for you, because if you didn't have those doubters then you would probably be, you know, in the basement playing video games instead of doing everything that you're doing.
Speaker 2:Make a point there. I'll give you that one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I really like I had to. I learned this a lot later in life, so the fact that you're seeing so much success early in life, it's, it's amazing. I have a daughter that's 20 years old, so not too far from you, and and she had she was diagnosed at like 12 with bipolar disorder, and so mental health has been a part of my life with her for a very long time and I am so incredibly proud of how far she's come. But I know that she wouldn't have been able to get that far if she wasn't as like, okay, watch me. She moved out at 18 and hasn't been back, and we went from having a more been back and we went from having a more.
Speaker 1:I was the mean mom that she didn't like my rules to. We talk every day and she sees how much I fought for her and I told her when she left, when she moved out. The one thing that I want is for you to prove everyone wrong. One thing that I want is for you to prove everyone wrong, including myself, that you have that you are capable of, of being successful and pursuing whatever you want to pursue. That's what I want, and she's been gone out of the house for two years now and I'm so incredibly proud of her and I feel like you're showing up against all odds of how everyone probably thought you would, and overcoming all of these things. I think that's amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I appreciate that. There's some stuff that I got to work on. We all have our flaws but, like there's some stuff that it may not be manageable but there's loops around it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and I've been. I think, yeah, you're right, like we all some stuff that it may not be manageable but there's loops around it. Yeah, absolutely, and I think, yeah, you're right, like we all have things that we have to work on. I'm 41 years old and I still have a lot of work to do, and I feel like that's what I love about this and talking to people that have, against the odds, overcome things, and I think I get to learn from your experiences as well, and I love the platform that we have, that we have a podcast that we can learn from each other, and I think that's amazing. So, like, what was some of your biggest limiting beliefs that you had to overcome?
Speaker 2:That I wouldn't, that I wouldn't be I don't want to say the popular kid that wouldn't, I don't want to say that, but basically I would have more than one friend. That's one I had to overcome. It's still days where I'm like is this happening? That's one. Number two, I would say a belief I had. Another belief I had to overcome is I never thought that this podcast would grow. I thought it would be a hobby in the basement. It'd be a basement playing video games. Except no video games, just podcasts.
Speaker 1:Yeah is well that I could pretty much get success by taking it without being a complete mean person. Yeah, yeah, and I feel like you experienced the mean person in growing up, if I'm understanding correctly, like you experience being that excluded and I think that kind of teaches us. Is that who we want to be, to other people or to ourselves? So we want to be that mean person movie to me.
Speaker 2:Mean girls came to my life.
Speaker 1:Let's put it that way yeah, yeah, absolutely so what do you feel like your daily rituals have been that helped you overcome the obstacles that you've had to overcome?
Speaker 2:Well, just try to be the people that I trust enough. Talk to the people that I trust enough.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And keep working on that trust issues, because it has bit me in the butt. I will not lie to you, it has bit me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because it has bit me in the butt. I will not lie to you, it has bit me. Yeah, I think that's. If we look at it, I feel like that's all of us right, like I've been really bitten in the butt a bunch of times, but I feel like what makes us strong and what makes us us learn from the our experiences is that we go out there and continue to try and just know that, like, the right people will always come into our lives at one point or another. But if we close ourselves off to those kind of people or to anybody because we have trust issues I've been bitten a lot, so I understand but if we close ourselves off, then we might close ourselves off to some really epic people that could be in our lives. And so I think that, yeah, we're always growing and evolving, but definitely when you start to open yourself up little by little to more people, then we have the ability to open ourselves up to to really amazing circumstances as well yeah, I would agree with you there.
Speaker 2:But then also I realized another one is remembering where I came from. There's a reason why I have a lot of songs with resemblance to my life. Yeah, a, b is the reason why I am attached to professional wrestling characters who represent mental health. It makes me think that could have been me yeah yeah, absolutely, 18 year old transition went south yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:and so what do you gravitate towards? You said something about your songs, so do you? Are you into music? Is that what your safe space and your calm places?
Speaker 2:Yeah, rock and roll music mainly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it makes sense. Your podcast is autism rocks and rolls right, and so what is your favorite band music song?
Speaker 2:It's always a tie between ACDC and Nickelback.
Speaker 1:Oh, I like, I love that. I don't look maybe like the kind that would like that kind of music, but I grew up in the 80s and 90s and that was definitely a part of my household, so that's awesome, awesome, anything exciting that is coming up for you soon.
Speaker 2:Well, let's see. Yeah, well, there's some. Next week I started part-time job slash internship at a radio station in bedford, indiana that's awesome.
Speaker 1:That is awesome. What are you going to be doing?
Speaker 2:well, as far as I know, I might be doing a little bit of cleaning, so not much exciting stuff, editing some stuff. They have a segment where they're going to do a movie ordeal and I might have to go to the theater and watch the movie and come back and critique it. So I thought, okay, and let's see, and then probably just do what they tell me to do. I know there's gonna be a senior so probably have to work with the camera.
Speaker 1:A lot of on-field production, which will help you with what you're doing too right, because is your podcast video and audio or just audio?
Speaker 2:Mainly audio, but I don't really do editing video.
Speaker 1:Got it, got it. Yeah, I thought about both. I ended up going with both. I do video and audio, but it is definitely interesting and lots of things to learn. And so do you have any like big projects other than the internship?
Speaker 2:done with the gala back in April, so that was a fun one, trying to celebrate autism acceptance with a silent option. And in the summer of 2024 we'll be having a motorcycle poker run that's awesome.
Speaker 1:What is that all about? It's also trying to spread awesome acceptance where a bunch of motorcyclists get on their motorcycles, take a route and do a poker run nice is there and that's in indiana, okay, so I'm gonna get all of the information from you so that I can at least help you promote that as well, because that is awesome.
Speaker 2:It's just in the start. We don't know much about that yet. We don't even know the route. That says something, but it's going for sure. Don Don't get me wrong on that. And then after the motorcycle run we don't have a flyer for this We'll be having either a summer or fall concert, depending on when the date is.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's awesome. I'm so excited for you. Do you do a lot of things around for autism? Because you were saying you have a nonprofit that you work with.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes, ma'am. So mainly the sponsors is one thing people will sponsor me or I'll help them out, and then sometimes the events is one. I also do a lot of speaking engagements. I've spoken in Oklahoma, canada twice, orlando, three times Stewart, florida and Washington, but then also some in Indiana and some online. But then in November, as far as I know, I'll probably be traveling to West Virginia for a conference.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. I'm actually in Orlando, so that is cool that you were here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, orlando, I'd probably go to a lot for work, but hey, I'm in the area, I'll give you a holler. Yes, please, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1:That is so cool and I'll give you a holler. Yes, please, yes, absolutely, that is so cool and so just give you a few more stats. So sam has made it to the top 10 in the people's choice podcast awards. He was he placed second in the state of indiana for the jag and entrepreneurship project, was selected as the best business at the CEO trade show in Indiana, has tremendous guests on his show and in the top 200 podcasts in all of Canada, while being on a current Davey Award winner. That is, excuse me.
Speaker 1:You're coughing about it, right, I'm coughing about it because I'm so excited. That is amazing. Congratulations. You guys are actually coughing about it, right. I'm coughing about it because I'm so excited. That is amazing, congratulations. Honestly, it is so cool to see young people's like bigger things, something that they're passionate about, out and really pursuing it. So, whether it came from adversity that you had to overcome and find some type of drive, I'm just so incredibly, like proud of what you're you've done so far, and you're only 21. That is so amazing.
Speaker 2:Sam Well, thank you very much. I appreciate it. I try to do what I can do to do some good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. I think that it makes it easier than when we are so open about the things that that we suffered with. I think it gives it like opens the door for others not to go through the same things that we did.
Speaker 2:I agree with that, because I would hate for someone to be in the same boat I was yeah, it's hard and it's awesome that we have the ability to make a difference.
Speaker 1:So that, excuse me so that they don't have to experience those things themselves. So I'm very, very proud of you Like this is amazing. I am so excited that I was able to have you on. Is there anything else else that you feel you need to speak about or tell my audience about?
Speaker 2:Not at the moment, but thank you again for having me on. I can't wait to start the job and I hope everyone has a great day.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, sam. I hope you have an awesome day. Listeners, thank you so much for tuning in today. I am so excited for Sam and I'll put all of his information on in the show notes, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Again thanks, sam, and I hope you have an awesome day. Peace out, guys. Love your life, bye, bye.
