The Lucky Few

What happens when you take a simple message like “You Are Beautiful” and turn it into a business that's changing lives?As we wrap up Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Heather sits down with Raquel Caramello, a jewelry designer, entrepreneur, college student, and disability advocate who is doing things her own way.After experiencing bullying and navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis, Raquel turned her desire to help others feel seen and valued into Raquel Beautiful, a growing jewelry and gift business built around the message that everyone is beautiful and worthy, exactly as they are.In this episode, we're talking about:How Raquel turned personal challenges into a business centered on kindness, confidence, and celebrating others.What it's like to be a young entrepreneur with Down syndrome, from building a brand and navigating rejection to advocating for herself and others.Raquel's college experience, big dreams for the future, and why she wants everyone to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.Raquel's story is a reminder that every person deserves the opportunity to pursue their passions, make their own choices, and have their voice heard.RESOURCES & LINKSRaquel Beautiful — Shop Raquel's jewelry, custom gifts, and accessories.Pay It Forward Program — Visit Raquel's website to learn how you can help share gifts of encouragement with others.Raquel Beautiful – Business AccountsInstagram – @raquelbeautifulTikTok – @raquelbeautifulofficialYouTube – @raquelbeautifulofficialRaquel's Personal AccountsInstagram – @raquelcaramelloTikTok – @raquel.caramelloFacebook – Raquel CaramelloWebsite: RaquelBeautiful.comAlso check out Episode 257: “Brother Do You Love Me?: A Journey of Resilience and Repair” with Manni and Reuben Coe.The episode explores their relationship, Reuben's experience with Down syndrome, and their journey together, including walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.----------------------------------------------------------------Thank You to Our SponsorsDown For Greens creates practitioner-formulated, third-party-tested greens specifically designed with the nutritional needs of the Down syndrome community in mind.Learn more: https://downforgreens.coPromo code: LUCKY — get 50% off your first order.ENABLE Special Needs Planning helps families create coordinated plans for the future by bringing together the vision, financial, legal, and practical pieces of special needs planning.Free resource: Who Will Carry What?Download: https://ENABLEsnp.com/the-lucky-fewLET'S CHATEmail [email protected] with your questions and Good News for future episodes.Don't forget to follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen to The Lucky Few Podcast.Here's to shifting the narrative for people with Down syndrome.

Here we are, halfway through October and Down Syndrome Awareness Month, revisiting a conversation that's just as relevant today as when we first released it in July 2022.We've all seen those viral “feel-good” videos featuring people with disabilities. But are these stories actually celebrating people with Down syndrome, or are they reinforcing harmful stereotypes?Building on our conversation in EP 339 about what we really want people to be aware of this month, we're throwing it back to EP 169 to explore the harm of “inspiration p*rn” and why the stories we share matter.In this episode, we're talking about:Why viral “inspirational” disability stories can sometimes do more harm than good.The difference between celebrating genuine accomplishments and turning people with disabilities into spectacles.How we can be more intentional about the stories we consume, celebrate, and share.As we continue shifting the narrative this Down Syndrome Awareness Month, let's remember: People with Down syndrome don't need to do something extraordinary to be worthy of being celebrated.RESOURCESHow to Avoid “Inspiration P*rn” – ForbesInspiration P*rn – Grace TrumpowerListen to EP 339: What We Really Want You to Be Aware of This Down Syndrome Awareness MonthThank You to Our SponsorsDown For Greens creates practitioner-formulated, third-party-tested greens specifically designed with the nutritional needs of the Down syndrome community in mind.Learn more: https://downforgreens.coPromo code: LUCKY — get 50% off your first order.ENABLE Special Needs Planning helps families create coordinated plans for the future by bringing together the vision, financial, legal, and practical pieces of special needs planning.Free resource: Who Will Carry What?Download: https://ENABLEsnp.com/the-lucky-fewLET'S CHATEmail [email protected] with your questions and Good News for future episodes.Don't forget to follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen to The Lucky Few Podcast.Here's to shifting the narrative for people with Down syndrome.

Throwback: What Do You Wish You Knew When You Got Your Child's Down Syndrome Diagnosis? (Ep. 138)It's Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and we're heading back into the archives for a conversation that's just as relevant today as when we first recorded it.What do you wish you knew when you first received your child's Down syndrome diagnosis?In this throwback episode, Heather, Micha, and Mercedes reflect on the things they wish they could tell their younger selves and why the stories we tell about Down syndrome matter so much.Too often, a diagnosis comes with a focus on limitations, challenges, and what a child may or may not be able to do. But that's only part of the story. This conversation reminds us that awareness means sharing a fuller, more honest picture of life with Down syndrome—one that makes room for both the hard and the beautiful.In this episode, we're talking about:What we wish we'd known when we first received our children's Down syndrome diagnoses.Moving beyond assumptions, limitations, and expectations based on ability.Why sharing honest stories of joy, challenges, and belonging matters for the next generation of families.Whether you're new to the Down syndrome community or have been here for years, we hope this conversation encourages you to keep shouting worth and shifting narratives.--------------------------------------------Thank You to Our SponsorsDown For Greens creates practitioner-formulated, third-party-tested greens specifically designed with the nutritional needs of the Down syndrome community in mind.Learn more: https://downforgreens.coPromo code: LUCKY — get 50% off your first order.ENABLE Special Needs Planning helps families create coordinated plans for the future by bringing together the vision, financial, legal, and practical pieces of special needs planning.Free resource: Who Will Carry What?Download: https://ENABLEsnp.com/the-lucky-fewDon't forget to follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen to The Lucky Few Podcast.Here's to shifting the narrative for people with Down syndrome.

People with Down syndrome deserve belonging, opportunity, and dignity—without having to prove their worth through achievement.To kick off Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Heather and Micha ask what happens when advocacy becomes centered on accomplishments. They share honestly about comparison, parenting expectations, and telling a fuller story that makes room for the entire Down syndrome community.In this episode:How to celebrate achievement without making it the measure of someone’s worth.Why stories about “overcoming” disability can create pressure for people with Down syndrome and their families.Questions to help us advocate for belonging across all abilities and support needs.Questions for our community this Down Syndrome Awareness Month:Are we challenging low expectations—or accidentally replacing them with a new kind of pressure?Are we celebrating a person, or using that person to prove something?Does our public advocacy represent the breadth of the Down syndrome community, including people with significant disabilities?Can we celebrate achievement without making it the measure of a good life?Whose version of a good life are we fighting for?Do we believe belonging is something people earn through capability, or something they deserve from the very beginning?Plus, Good News is back! Micha shares how Ace’s first youth retreat became a weekend full of friendship, joy, and belonging.Keep the conversation going: Listen to Episode 338 on presuming competence and Episode 337 on belonging and inclusion.Thank You to Our SponsorsDown For Greens creates practitioner-formulated, third-party-tested greens specifically designed with the nutritional needs of the Down syndrome community in mind.Learn more: downforgreens.coPromo code: LUCKY — get 50% off your first order.ENABLE Special Needs Planning helps families create coordinated plans for the future by bringing together the vision, financial, legal, and practical pieces of special needs planning.Free resource: Who Will Carry What? Download it here.

“Presume competence” is a phrase we hear often in the disability community. But what does it mean when someone also needs significant support?This week, Heather and Micha talk through the tension between believing there may be more happening than we can see and honoring a person exactly as they are. They share stories about school routines, communication, reading, and friendship—and ask what changes when we lead with curiosity instead of assumptions.In this episode:Why presuming competence starts with seeing someone’s full humanity, rather than measuring what they can do.How behavior or limited speech can obscure a person’s interests, needs, and desire for connection.What it looks like to offer age-appropriate opportunities while providing real support.Related listening: Episode 337 on belonging and inclusion, Episode 335 on autonomy, and Episodes 313–314 on apraxia and motor planning.Thank You to Our SponsorsDown For Greens creates practitioner-formulated, third-party-tested greens specifically designed with the nutritional needs of the Down syndrome community in mind.Learn more: downforgreens.coPromo code: LUCKY — get 50% off your first order.ENABLE Special Needs Planning helps families create coordinated plans for the future by bringing together the vision, financial, legal, and practical pieces of special needs planning.Free resource: Who Will Carry What? Download it here.