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Alycia Anderson: Welcome to Pushing Forward with Alycia, a podcast that gives disability a voice each week. We will explore topics like confidence, ambition, resilience, and finding success against all odds. We are creating a collective community that believes that all things are possible for all people. Open hearts, clear paths.

Let’s go.

Welcome back to Pushing Forward with Alycia. I am Alycia. We have the beautiful Nevaeh Hearn with us today. Our paths crossed on LinkedIn like many of my guests do, honestly, ’cause I’m constantly networking there. But she caught my eye for so many reasons that we’re gonna dive into. She is a senior at Drexel University studying fashion and merchandising, which I love.

After a life changing shift, which she’s gonna talk about. She found her passion for adaptive fashion. Yay. Another fan favorite for me. And she’s aiming to make the industry more inclusive and functional. I love that. She was a top finalist for the NRF Foundation’s Next Generation Scholarship.

We’re gonna hear all about that. She’s a leader in raising awareness for Ronald McDonald House of Charities. That’s amazing. In Baltimore, and she’s just basically making waves all over the place. She is a mover and a shaker for being 22 years old. Congratulations on that. Welcome to the show, Nevaeh.

I’m so happy our paths have crossed.

Nevaeh Hearn: That was the warmest welcome ever. Thank you so much. I am honestly like so honored to be here today. I know we were just talking a few weeks ago about, I shared with you how on my vision board for this year is like a picture of me being on a podcast, and so this is like a dream come true and I’m just so grateful to be here and have the platform to share my story and spread awareness on adaptive.

So thank you for having me on the show today.

Alycia Anderson: Thank you for saying yes to meeting with me on LinkedIn. I’m so excited to be your first podcast. That’s amazing. We’ll remember each other forever for that and many other reasons. But. We connected on the adaptive fashion thing on LinkedIn. I saw you and I was like, I knew that you were just like young and innovative and inspiring, and so I wanted to connect with you to learn about all of the greatness that you are, and then we started peeling back the layers of your story.

And I don’t know what’s more incredible. Your story is so interesting and I loved how you compartmentalized your journey into these three different areas, sections, eras of your own life. And it was just really fascinating to go on that journey with you.

So I was immediately like, will you please come on my podcast and tell your story? And you’re like, yeah, that’s been my goal for this year. And I’m like, perfect. Let’s do it . Can we start with those three phases. When you talk about, let’s look in the past, let’s talk about your journey with disability, who you are and these three major eras of your life that have taken you to becoming who you are today.

Nevaeh Hearn: Yeah, so my story is very complex and that’s why I feel like I have to break it into parts. I almost feel like I’ve lived like three lifetimes and I was like reflecting this past weekend. I was like, I think I’m entering like my fourth lifetime right now. But my first lifetime really was just, I was.

All about gymnastics. My mom placed me into gymnastics when I was like three and a half, about to be four, and by the time I was seven, my coach was placing me on the USA gymnastics team to start competing. And so I fell in love with the sport and I seen a career in it. I wanted to go collegiate or Olympic and just.

Always be in that sports industry. But that dream was quickly shattered when I was 12 and I was warming up for a competition one day and I was like on the mat doing a backhand spring step out and a volunteer who was still setting up chairs was pushing a chair rack in the same direction of me.

And I came down on the chair rack and just my foot hit. And at first I remember like collapsing in pain, but almost like in the same breath I stood up. Almost in that athletic spirit. I think a lot of athletes can relate to feeling like you have to put on like a brave facade. And so that’s what I felt like in the moment.

I jumped up and then I was like, no, like this is excruciating. And so I sat back down and my coaches iced my foot. We wrapped it up and decided to still compete two events. So I competed Beam and I competed floor and I was quickly stopped by the EMT and my family and my coaches and they were like, okay, you’re done.

Like you need to go to the hospital. And so I went to the hospital. And there, they just told me that it was like a contusion to my toe. And then a week later we went to the ortho and he was like, I think it’s like a really bad sprain, could be mildly fractured. So he put me in a boot, crutches, put me in physical therapy, and from there I only seemed to be getting worse.

My physical therapist, like I got to a point where my physical therapist couldn’t even work with me because he couldn’t even touch like my foot or my legs. It was like my nerves were just going crazy. And so he had suspected that it was possibly this condition called complex regional pain syndrome.

And so I didn’t know about all this. I was only 12. And so him and my mom were talking about this behind the scenes. And then like in, within that same week, one day we were at home and I got up out of bed and I just collapsed. Like my legs felt almost like SpaghettiOs, like it just collapsed. And I tried to get back up and I couldn’t.

And from there it’s like a blur. I remember being rushed to the hospital. They did every test imaginable in the book. And after about a week of staying there, they had no answer. I was still unable to walk. But the one thing that they kept telling me was, maybe it’s just all in your head. And I was only 12 at the time and my dreams were just completely shattered. Like all I wanted to do was be doing gymnastics at that moment, not unable to walk. And so h hearing them tell me that was really disheartening. And also just as a 12-year-old, I think for anyone at any age hearing that. What you’re going through is all in your head is just not something that a doctor should say.

And I just, I got that a little bit too much throughout my journey and that definitely led to me being depressed. But luckily I had an amazing physical therapist at the time that had suspected that it was complex regional pain syndrome and. really, pushed us to try to go see a specialist, but it’s super rare and there’s not a lot of specialists out there.

And so we had to do a lot of research and find one. And so we found one in Baltimore at Kennedy Krieger John Hopkins, and we went to go see her. And like within the first few minutes of me being with her, she, I. Confirmed the diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome, and she gave me like the rundown on all that.

It was super rare. It’s complex. It’s not something that a lot of people know about. I remember my PT had told me that he only spent like 10 minutes in PT school studying it, and so not even a lot of other PTs. Remembered it or really knew about it. And so the doctor told me like it was not anything that could be cured.

It was something that was like a spectrum. So everyone with CRPS presents a bit differently. And so I was more on the extreme end, unable to walk and having all of the other severe symptoms. And so the treatment plan is a little bit experimental and so I’ll get a little bit more into like my treatment plan, but it was very experimental with what they had to try.

But I was told that I would never walk again. There was many times that I was told like, you will never walk again. And I did start settling with that fact. But, I think life had other plans.

Alycia Anderson: How do you settle with that fact at 12?

Nevaeh Hearn: I don’t even know fully. I just remember. When I heard the first time I heard that I would never walk again. I was sad. I was 12. I had still hope in me that I would return to gymnastics. I don’t know why, because I wasn’t able to walk, but deep down, I was like, one day I’m gonna, be back and I’ll be flipping again. But after hearing that, I was like, okay, that might not ever be a possibility. And so I just started. I guess I started trying a lot less. I will say that I wasn’t trying as hard in physical therapy. I had no motivation anymore. ’cause I was like, what’s really the point? Because if I’m never gonna walk again, why am I exerting myself like, and putting myself in pain just to try to walk again when I’m being told that I will never walk again? And so they did start focusing more on like occupational type stuff, trying to get me to just learn how to live in the wheelchair and manage my life more independently in the wheelchair. And I think that’s where my family was really disheartened by the fact that I was settling with the fact that I would always be in the wheelchair.

And I remember my mom, not that she was like mad at me, but she was just like where did your motivation go? Like I was a gymnast, I was an athlete. I always had this strive. And it just disappeared after I heard that. And so I think it was my family really that got me motivated again to just try a little bit harder and just give it a chance. And even if I were to never walk again, just get my strength back. ‘ cause there were like moments where I was able to stand again and just getting that strength back. And so my family really gave me more of that hope, but I don’t even know how I settled in that fact.

It was just. I was so young and naive, and also this was my first time ever really dealing with disability. So I feel like I also was ignorant to that as well. There was a lot I had to learn in the space of disability, and so there was a lot going on in my head at the moment. So I don’t even know what

Alycia Anderson: Well,

Nevaeh Hearn: how I settled in that.

Alycia Anderson: and to give yourself a little grace, you’re 12 and I didn’t know anything about disability at 12 either. And I think that’s a beautiful little note about your family being the ones that kind of pushed you and motivated you to keep trying. I think that’s really beautiful and I think a lot of parents do that for their kids whether they have a disability or not, but I think that’s an important lesson for parents that do have kids with disabilities.

Give ’em another nudge and push ’em to try. ’cause they’ll totally surprise you.

Nevaeh Hearn: Yeah.

Alycia Anderson: So this is era one.

Nevaeh Hearn: Yes.

My second lifetime I guess would be, the treatment and the recovery.

That first year of me being in the wheelchair, I wasn’t seeing much progress. There was moments where I was standing again, but then I would lose that progress and it was just so disheartening.

And those were the moments where I was just settling with the fact of maybe I won’t ever walk again. But it was finally when they placed me in a spinal cord rehabilitation program at Kennedy Krieger, that completely changed my trajectory. That they had some of the best cutting edge technology to help people stand and walk.

Again, it was like some of the best stuff that they had in the country. And so I give all props to that program and the technology they had there and the physical therapist. ’cause what I had was something that they had never had a patient there before with CRPS and

Alycia Anderson: wow.

Nevaeh Hearn: had to be experimental with their treatment and so they were doing everything that they knew how to get me back walking again.

’cause it was very similar to spinal cord injuries with that aspect. But then once, like I was walking again on crutches, I wasn’t able to, I guess to the full extent. And so they were really. I guess creative in their kind of treatment plan and they ended up like tying TheraBands to my legs with the crutches and it like helped give me like that extra bounce and like support I needed to walk. And so like after I was using all the technology and we got back walking on crutches, we were doing the TheraBands and then. That was pretty much when I was walking again, I was using the TheraBands, so like out in public, like you would see me in the store, like with TheraBands on my legs and the crutches.

But I was just happy to be walking again. And then finally, like three months after that, I was walking without the TheraBands, just the crutches. And then three months after that, going into 2017, I was finally walking without the crutches. And so

Alycia Anderson: Wow,

Nevaeh Hearn: give extreme props to them in that program because without that program I truly don’t think that I would be walking today.

Alycia Anderson: that’s incredible. Without them, and also without your dedication and resiliency to keep pushing through, and until you reached your goal. I think that’s really beautiful and powerful. And how did that shift your mindset, like where are you emotionally at that point?

Nevaeh Hearn: Honestly, I was going through an identity crisis and I

Alycia Anderson: I.

Nevaeh Hearn: was like struggling with survivor’s guilt in a way because during my time in the wheelchair, I had really cultivated a community of other people that had disabilities and a lot of other wheelchair users and people with CRPS.

And so I really felt like I had. Had this whole community, and now I was walking again and like I still, have a disability. CRPS is not curable and I have a whole myriad of other issues now, but I just didn’t feel like I could relate to them as much anymore. And I just was struggling to grasp the idea that these people that I had met, might not ever walk again.

And I was, and they would always tell me like, you’re just such a testament of hope for us. But I still was struggling internally that I was walking again and a lot of the people that I met. Probably would never walk again. And so that just was a whole other issue mentally, but also just that identity crisis of finding myself again, walking but without gymnastics because I did not know life walking without gymnastics. And so I really had to find myself again and. That’s where my love for fashion came in, because fashion during that time specifically played such a huge role in me finding my place and my belonging in the world again. And that in turn gave me passionate about wanting to help others do the same.

And I didn’t know how. I was only 14-15 at this point. And so I didn’t know how I was gonna do that if I just knew that I wanted to. And so during my teenage years, I also had a YouTube channel. And so I would post videos like weekly about like fashion art stuff, just lifestyle, like anything I would just post.

And that was my way, I think during my teenage years of really cultivating like a new community, I would share my story on there. And just guess. Implementing my passion in a new way. But now I feel like I’ve truly found my purpose and my passion with what I’m doing currently. Which I guess we’ll get into, but really that time was mentally challenging. But I think it’s what was needed in me, finding my purpose. And I think everything that I have gone through is truly what was meant to happen for me to be where I’m at today.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah, and I love how that connection between your gymnastics and then, the amazing endurance that you had to get back up on your feet. And then how fashion entered your life and gave you this new motivation and reason to go after life. I think it’s really beautiful.

So talk about that a little bit and talk about going to school, like that whole journey of that being one of your big goals.

Nevaeh Hearn: Yes. So I always wanted to go to college. I thought I was gonna be going to college for gymnastics, but obviously that quickly changed and I I guess once I started walking again, that’s when other issues started to arise. I found my freedom, for about two years I felt like, and then a new whole myriad of issues started to come. Across. I was having like full body achy pains, migraines every day, digestive issues, skin problems. Just every issue was just. Like within a few weeks I felt like happening to me. And there was days where I felt like my body was shutting down and so I ended up having to go and see a specialist for that. And she diagnosed me very quickly with Eller Danlos syndrome, which is also known as EDS, and it’s a genetic connective tissue disorder. And so it comes with a myriad of other issues. And so she sent me to a bunch of specialists for that, which I’m sure. People with EDS can relate to seeing every specialist in the book.

And so that’s when I found out that I had a myriad of other issues connected to the EDS with my heart and my stomach and like Chiari malformation with my brain. Just so many other issues and that they were all answers. And so I was just glad to finally be getting answers because I felt like I never really fully got that with my CRPS because it is such a. A rare thing, and it wasn’t very highly researched at the time. And so I felt like I was finally at least getting clear answers for what was going on with me. And so during that time then I was like, I’m two years away from supposed to be going to college. Like how am I gonna go to college now? And so I was just telling like all of my doctors please, just like whatever you can do to prepare me to go to college, please help me go to college.

And so I had amazing treatment team and they all. Were helping me the best they could with managing, like getting different medications, different treatments, different, like I got every mobility brace, like the braces for my ankles and my knees and my neck and my back and my wrists and my fingers, everything to help me so that when I am away at school and I don’t have that easily access to my doctors, that I would be able to, manage the best I could.

And me able to go to college and so I went to school at Drexel University, which is only an hour and a half away from my hometown. And so I did wanna stay close to my hometown in case, my health were to act up. And I’m glad that I did because my freshman year was a really tough year for me and I was on the verge of dropping out. I ended up back in the wheelchair for three months my freshman year, like it was only two months into my freshman year. And I remember just telling my mom like. I don’t know if school is for me I think maybe I just need to focus on my health right now. But I regained my strength towards the end of my freshman year and I was able to finish off that pretty strongly. And then somehow I’ve made it through and I’m on my, I. Senior year, and I only have actually a few weeks left until I graduate. So it’s all gone by so fast. I know everyone says college goes by fast, but like it’s truly gone by fast. And managing my disability on top of college and life responsibilities has been so much, but somehow I’ve been able to do it.

And so I’m really proud of myself. And yeah, so now I’m

Alycia Anderson: I,

Nevaeh Hearn: I am excited

Alycia Anderson: proud of you too. I’m really proud of you too, and I remember college being a similar experience for me, and I know a lot of the, we’ve had a couple other guests come on and talk about their college experience from a disability standpoint and either their doctors and their team getting them prepared to go.

Or going themselves and like becoming, like becoming who they are and from an independent standpoint and like owning your disability and your talents and your abilities and, really navigating life on your own as a disabled like student, a college student is very empowering.

And I know for me too, when I left, I. School, I was a different person and probably that’s the same for anybody, whether you have a disability or not. But there is something very liberating about leaving the nest when you’re disabled. And just preparing yourself. Hoping for the best, going for it and pushing fear to the side and just like dealing with the things that come up as they come up.

’cause they will, in and out of dealing with disability and caring for yourself and all of that. But I love that part of your story because that motivation of having that experience, whether you have a disability or not, I think is very impactful and will help our community who are.

Many are your age, like going through this do I go to school? Do I not? Are there programs? What do I wanna do? Is that for me? Am I able to do this? And and the answer to all of those things is yes, by the way. But I think it’s a beautiful part of your story. So can we talk a little bit about. I don’t want you to give away your trade secrets ’cause you have some other ideas that are gonna take you far.

But will you talk about like your thesis and like your goals in fashion and what you’re studying and why?

Nevaeh Hearn: Yeah, so throughout my four years here at Drexel majoring in fashion industry and merchandising, I’ve really fallen in love with adaptive fashion, which isn’t something that we even learn in school at all, which is a big problem. But that’s a whole nother conversation. But. Throughout, our classes, we’ve gotten opportunities to engage in different areas of our interest.

And that’s where I came upon Adaptive and that’s where I discovered Alycia and her Ted Talk and all the amazing advocates in the industry. And I was like, why isn’t this something that we learn? And why isn’t this something that more brands are doing? And so I felt like it was my responsibility as someone who is disabled and as someone who is.

In the fashion industry to advocate for adaptive fashion. And so my first project I did on it was for like a presentation techniques class. And everyone was like so amazed And so moving forward, like I just kept any chance I got to advocate for adaptive and actually this past year, being a top five finalist for the NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship, I got the opportunity to propose an adaptive line. And so we worked with Uniqlo this year as the case study partner and their case study prompt was to propose like a new product launch to help them expand their consumer reach. And so I thought my passion for adaptive is perfect for this because also UNIQLO has a really strong commitment to people, planet, and community.

And they also have this made for all life wear line. And they say that they make clothing for everyone. I felt like they were obviously not making clothing for everyone because people with disabilities were not included in that. And so this was, the perfect chance for me to, implement my passion for adaptive.

And so that’s what I did and that’s what got me to top five, along with the other interviews and things that I had to do. And so I’m so grateful to that because honestly, the whole competition meant a lot more than. To, to me, than just a title. It was about the fact that I was given an opportunity to implement my passion in a way that I have been wanting to for so long, and spread awareness to an actual brand about adaptive.

And so I didn’t end up being the top recipient. This past January we went to New York and whatnot. And it was a great week weekend, but I didn’t end up being the top recipient. But still, like I said, it wasn’t about the title for me, it was about the fact that I even got that far as top five. And I consider that being a win. And just being able to spread awareness on the disability community is really important. So I’m hoping that Uniqlo and other brands, we’ll learn from that and we’ll see some growth in the future. But there, now I’m working on my senior thesis and that also I’m implementing my passion for adaptive and. I really wanna intertwine tech with fashion and the consumer. I see such a great, opportunity in the market currently with tech. Really growing the fashion space and really helping to optimize the supply chain. I see that adaptive fashion specifically could really grow into that. There’s such great, different advancements out there currently that could really reshape, adaptive and help just the process of designing and producing adaptive a lot more smoother for brands. And I think that would help brands be a little bit more open to the idea of adaptive. And so currently I’m creating a program to implement that and hopefully get that into the market someday.

It has just grown to be such a passion for me. Outside of adaptive. Just specifically this program, I’ve fallen in love with it and it’s just become a passion project, and so I really wanna keep working on it outside of just a thesis and hopefully bring it to market one day. And so I’m excited for the future of the fashion industry and yeah, so just stay tuned.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah, stay tuned. For sure. I’m excited too, and I wanna invest in your business one day for sure. I love your story and I love this story about you being top five in this scholarship program. Going after it. And not only did you impact that company, but I can’t imagine how many students that are in your courses and the professors and all these other people that are in the industry, in the fashion industry doing their thing.

And then they get the opportunity, the privilege to experience. Seeing fashion through your lens, which I’m assuming most are not looking through an adaptive lens yet in the industry, and imagine how many people , and companies and organizations and opportunities. And innovative products.

That’s just meeting you and engaging with you and learning about what your passion is like. It’s opening so many people’s eyes to the opportunities that, all these other students are gonna leave and go into their jobs and start creating in. They’re gonna have this in their mind, and it might not have been there before, which is so amazing.

It’s so good.

Definitely cause like none of my peers in my classes have known about adaptive prior to me presenting on it. And so I feel like that’s just like a small example of the awareness that I am creating. And my goal is always to be a voice for the voice less. And so I feel like that’s exactly what, adaptive gives me a chance to do.

And although, I’m not fully in the industry yet, I’m haven’t fully graduated yet. Just me being able to spread awareness just through a simple 20 person class, is the small step that we need to create change.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah, it’s actually a big step. I think it’s amazing. So, what is the biggest misconception that you could clear up about accessibility adaptive fashion. What are some of the mishits? what is the industry not understanding?

Nevaeh Hearn: So what I found in my research throughout my thesis is first off. The disability community doesn’t even know that adaptive is a thing for like the most part. There was like a study done and like half of the disability, like consumers with disabilities didn’t even know that adaptive was a thing.

They didn’t even know the definition, what it entailed, any of that, which was really saddening. But then following that, brands felt like there wasn’t much profitability potential in adaptive, which just. It so funny to me because there is so many people worldwide with disabilities. I think it’s like 1.6 billion people that have a disability worldwide, and when you think about that’s so much profitability potential. So I’m not sure why brands think that way. I don’t think they’re really backing that up with market research. So that is the first thing I think brands really need to hone into is researching their consumer and really understanding all consumer segments. Because one of their consumers could be someone with disabilities, they’re trying to buy their clothing because they like their clothing, but it’s not adaptive.

And so if the smallest thing they could do is just change a button to not be, that button and maybe be like Velcro or magnetic. And that makes, someone’s life so much easier and then you can get profit from that. And so that’s a big misconception that I think that brands really need to kind of change.

And then also the other misconception that I think just goes back to the stigma around disability is that adaptive clothing isn’t fashion forward. When you think of adaptive clothing or when you go and research like adaptive Google, an adaptive like shirt, and I’m sure the first thing that will come up is like a plain white, blue or black shirt. it’s always those colors too. It’s very medicinal. And so I. That’s a really big problem in the industry that I really am also trying to expand on in my thesis is having brands implement fashion forward adaptive products. We don’t just need basic and staple pieces. Yes, those are great, but people with disabilities wanna feel like they aren’t excluded from things that non-disabled people wear, they wanna wear exactly what their, non-disabled friends are wearing. Just make it adaptive so that it’s easier for them. And so there’s many more misconceptions. We could probably make a whole nother podcast with that. But those are, I think, the really big top ones that are driving adaptive to like the backside and the back of people’s minds.

Alycia Anderson: I 100% agree. Let’s make it fashion forward. Like hot. Like you wanna feel good in these clothes. There are some lines now anthropology and some clothing lines that are starting to do it much better. And it looks like the brand and it feels cute and it looks good.

But I agree like a lot of adaptive, whether it’s in fashion or like home design or any of that is just like you’re saying, and I don’t wanna feel like I just had surgery when I’m getting dressed. You’re in the bathroom or you in my house. I think that’s a really important piece and the brands that get that are gonna have so much return on investment in it.

I just saw on LinkedIn recently, I don’t know if you saw this or not, but there was a post going around and I think I’m quoting it but it said. Something like accessibility and adaptive products is the next trillion dollar industry to hit the globe.

Nevaeh Hearn: I’m gonna need to see that because I need to see who is responding and who’s reposting because

Alycia Anderson: I’ll find it for you. I saw it. I was like, yeah, like I had a big pitch with a big fashion designer company. I’m not gonna mention yet till I close ’em. But I mentioned this quote when I was pitching them because that’s a big statement and it makes sense with the billions of people that around the world, like the amount of money,

Nevaeh Hearn: Yeah.

Alycia Anderson: that we have to, purchase products and services and technology that works for us is it’s there.

So it just makes sense to start investing in it. So I love what you’re doing. I love everything about it.

Nevaeh Hearn: reminds me actually like quickly a quote that I came upon in my research and I think I posted it on my LinkedIn too, and it’s by, Elise Roy, and I’m definitely gonna butcher it word for word, but it goes along the lines of something like when we design with disability first, we often stumble upon solutions that make things easier for everyone.

So it’s like, why don’t we design like adaptive first? Like, why are we designing, not thinking about adaptive first, like that would honestly make everything so much easier.

Alycia Anderson: Totally and then if you start buying that way, even if you’re not disabled, as you age or something happens, your closet still works for you.

Nevaeh Hearn: Exactly.

Alycia Anderson: Win win okay, so after graduation, what’s the North Star? Like, where are we going? What do you really like? What’s your biggest goal right now?

Nevaeh Hearn: My biggest goal right now is just to continue being a voice for the voiceless. I, I’m gonna hopefully get a job after I graduate and whatnot, but I really want to make sure, whatever job I get that I am still, on the side being a voice for the voiceless, still honing into my passion for adaptive, still expanding on my thesis and hopefully getting that into market one day. But I really just wanna continue to be involved in the disability community, volunteer for anything that I can next week I’m actually volunteering. For one of Mindy’s Runway of Dreams shows. So just really getting involved in any way that I can in the community and being that voice, because there’s just way too many different marginalized communities out there that their voices are just so limited and they need people like us and platforms like this to be their voice.

And so that’s really what my goal is and my lifelong goal really with hopefully bringing my idea to market one day and maybe being a CEO.

Alycia Anderson: Maybe be a CEO, not maybe I know you’re gonna be a ceo. Congratulations on all your successes and your accomplishments. We like barely scratch the surface, but your story’s amazing and I know that our community and beyond is gonna love to hear you and start to follow you. We’re gonna leave all of your information in the show notes. And okay, so we end the show with a pushing forward moment.

A little mantra, something that you can motivate our community with for them to also go out into the world and reach their dreams and go after their goals.

Do you have anything that you can gift away?

Nevaeh Hearn: Yeah I would say honestly that life is all about perspective. I feel like my story is truly a testament to loss and hardship shaping us in ways that we would’ve never expected. And I feel like I would’ve never gotten this far and been, this positive about my journey without perspective. Life is what you make it.

I know a lot of people say that, but it really truly is your perspective on life is really how far you will go. And so truly just reshaping your perspective to. Think more positively, as cliche as that might be. I think that has been what’s gotten me through some of the toughest times is knowing that, my purpose and my passion is on the other side, and you can create something beautiful out of even life’s toughest challenges.

So take that hardship and turn it into something good.

Alycia Anderson: Take the hardship and find your purpose and passion on the other side. Obsessed with that too. And you. I am seriously so happy that our paths have crossed, like I know we’re gonna be friends forever. I wanna support you and in any way, shape, or form that I can. I think you’re absolutely incredible and just congratulations on being a total boss at 22.

Wait until you’re 23. My God. Watch out world. Thank you so much for being on the show.

Nevaeh Hearn: and thank you so much for having me in all the work that you do for the community as well.

Alycia Anderson: Thank you. Okay, and that is it. Thank you to our community for joining us again for another episode. This has been Pushing Forward with Alycia, and that is literally how we roll on this podcast. We will see you next time.