A Little Something Extra

S3 E4: A Little Something Extra with Dee and Deven from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Bucs defensive back Dee Delaney, and wide receiver Deven Thompkins join the podcast in studio!! Dee and DT(Deven) have really inspiring stories to tell. While being NFL players and teammates, both Dee and Deven are also parents to kids with Down syndrome! Deven’s story begins at just 19 years old, he talks about his experience having a son with Down syndrome in college and how he embraced the responsibility to create an amazing life for his children. Dee talks about his family’s experience having a beautiful daughter with Down syndrome at the age of 25, balancing that with an NFL career and embracing the diagnosis from the beginning.

Earlier this year, both Dee and Deven participated in NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign, rockin’ GiGi’s Playhouse on their cleats! In the episode we discuss the campaign and the opportunities that came with it. We then dive into the impacts these young men are making and will continue to make for the Down syndrome community and beyond in promoting and creating acceptance for all! It’s a really special episode in the way you can see the realization in both these men regarding the impact they can make in this world. We absolutely loved hanging out with them and hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Watch the video version of this episode here

S3 E3: A Little Something Extra with Champion’s Actors, Kevin Iannucci and James Keith

In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, the extremely talented Kevin Iannucci and James Keith join the podcast!! Kevin and James are both actors who starred in the 2023 comedy Champions, A Bobby Farrelly comedy centered around a college basketball coach who was ordered to coach a special needs basketball team. Both Kevin and James KILLED IT in their roles, so they joined us to talk about it! Kevin and James are both really impressive guys. Kevin is an experienced actor who has Down syndrome. He was featured in multiple roles leading up to Champions, with this being his breakthrough role! James’s path is a bit different, being a Special Olympics athlete who took this on as his first acting role, but you would never have known! In the episode, we discussed their experience on set with the big stars, their acting methods behind the scenes, and their interests and hobbies outside of acting; we did some podcast karaoke to a certified classic, learned their ‘Little Something Extra’ and of course heard some of GiGi’s TIPPSS! It is a super fun episode filled with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart. Like us, you’ll surely want to be best friends with these dudes when it's over! Enjoy!!

See the video version of the episode here.

S3 E2: A Little Something Extra with Tanner Smith and his amazing mom, Nicci!

On this week’s episode of A Little Something Extra, we are joined by Love on the Spectrum star Tanner Smith and his amazing mom, Nicci! Love on the Spectrum is a show that follows various individuals on the autism spectrum on their search for love. Tanner was a breakout star in season 2, no doubt due to his upbeat personality and his incredibly positive outlook on life. In his own words, Tanner is polite, he has a good personality, and he is a kind young man! His mom, Nicci, is equally as amazing. Only seeing a few short snippets of her on the show, this podcast takes a deeper dive into her experience raising Tanner, Tanner’s transition into adulthood, and his newfound fame. She is legit a super mom, whose story and words of wisdom need to be heard! In this episode, we talk with Tanner and Nicci about his experiences dating, his life at Clemson Life, the experience of growing up with Autism, parenting advice, some words of inspiration, and, of course, some…TIPPSSSSSSS on spreading joy!

We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

See the video version of this episode here.

S3 E1: A Little Something Extra with John and Mark Cronin

Season 3 of A Little Something Extra is starting off with a bang, featuring John and Mark Cronin the father/son duo behind John’s Crazy Socks! If you are not familiar with their story, this is the perfect place to learn it. Mark (father) tells us about his journey, both as a professional and as a father of a son with Down syndrome. John then tells us the story behind his crazy sock empire! Their story takes us from their humble beginnings of hand-delivering socks, door to door, to them becoming one of the largest sock companies in the world! This story, fueled by a lack of opportunity and value seen by the world, leads us to a greater discussion about the importance of developing careers for those with Intellectual disabilities. Finally, it wouldn’t be A Little Something Extra without some laughs, moments of inspiration and dare I say…TIPPSSSS!

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

S2 E19: A Little Something Extra with Jennifer McCormick

Jennifer McCormick joins the show!! On this week’s episode, we are celebrating the beauty of motherhood by featuring parent blogger and influencer, Jennifer McCormick. Jennifer has a three-year-old with Down syndrome, named Riley. Riley falls right in the middle of, soon to be, 5 kids! Making all her siblings her biggest fan and advocates in the world. We talk about the impacts that a child with Down syndrome can have on their siblings and the people they turn out to be. As well as all the funny and odd circumstances that come along with the journey of raising a family with a child with Down syndrome! Jennifer talks about how social media and her life as a blogger have impacted her life. She started her social media because of the lack of guidance and understanding she was exposed to when Riley was born. She is now a part of an amazing community of social media moms helping break the stigmas behind Down syndrome and helping other parents realize there is nothing to fear! We of course then hear some amazing words of inspiration from Jennifer, including her “One Message to the World” and her “Little Something Extra”. This is an amazing episode for all the moms out there looking for some guidance and peace of mind or for those looking to see the impact that someone with Down syndrome can have on your life!

Watch the video version here.

S2 E18: A Little Something Extra with Joanne and Nathan

Britain’s Got Talent Semi-Finalists Nathan and Joanne join the podcast to talk about their amazing journey! Joanne and Nathan are a dancing duo who won over the hearts of Great Britain on the latest season of Britain’s Got Talent. This incredible journey began back in 2019 in one of Joanne’s dance classes. Nathan is an adult with Down Syndrome who has always been interested in dance and performing. Well, after taking classes with Joanne, he knew he had found his passion! Joanne did not go into this as an advocate looking to spread awareness for Down syndrome, nor did she see this as a charity case. Nathan and her merely formed a connection with one another on the dance floor that she believed the world should see! After years of practice and growth, Joanne secretly submitted an inquiry about performing with Nathan on BGT, and the rest was history!

Tune in now to hear their heartwarming story, some amazing British accents, see some of GiGi and Nathans's dance moves, hear GiGi’s Tipppsss on dancing your heart out, and much more fun!

Watch the video version at https://gigisplayhouse.org/alittlesomethingextra/

 

S2 E17: A Little Something Extra with Jennifer Hogan Jones

Jennifer Hogan Jones, known on social media as My Beautiful DS Journey, joins the show! Jennifer is a super mom who has been sharing her Down syndrome journey on social media. When she received her prenatal diagnosis that her son, Hudson, had Down syndrome, she thought her world would fall apart. Being a mom of 3 other daughters, she didn’t know how the family would take it. Well fast forward 4 years and those dark moments are a thing of the past. Jennifer talks with us about the reason behind sharing her story and the light that is spreading across the lives of so many. Tune into the episode to hear all about how Jennifer is changing the way the world views Down syndrome by celebrating Hudson’s life and showing people the beauty of the DS diagnosis.

See the video episode at, https://gigisplayhouse.org/alittlesomethingextra

S2 E16: A Little Something Extra with Houston and Katie Vandergriff

Houston and Katie Vandergriff join the show!! Houston is an adult with Down syndrome who is a professional photographer and world traveler. His mother, Katie, and him run the platform “Downs and Towns”, where people can view his beautiful photography and see his life journey! This episode is so important because it shows the power of following one’s passion. No one should be held back from following their passions, especially because of a measly extra chromosome, and Houston channels that energy! In this episode, we talk about Houston’s travels (most recently to Egypt), how he found his passion, and what he did to pursue it. We, of course, hear some incredible words of inspiration from his mother and some really beautiful “Something Extras”! We hope you enjoy it!

To watch the video version of this episode, click here.

S2 E15: A Little Something Extra with Grace and Carrie Key

The mother-daughter duo behind Candidly Kind, Grace, and Carrie Key join the show! Grace is a 22-year-old entrepreneur who so happens to have Down syndrome. Grace has a passion for art, fashion, and cosmetology so, like any great entrepreneur, she is channeled that passion into her business! Candidly Kind’s message is to spread light, love and acceptance through Grace’s original art. Then a percentage of proceeds go to various non-profits that support that same mission of spreading love and acceptance!

In the episode, we talk with Grace and her mom Carrie about their journey, from Grace’s birth and the mindset Carrie had in that moment through today and the incredible woman she has become! We get some amazing words of inspiration from both Carrie and Grace, of course, we dive into each of their “something extra’s,” and we finish off with GiGi’s Tips on being creative. We hope you enjoy it!!

Watch the full episode here: https://gigisplayhouse.org/alittlesomethingextra/s2-e14-a-little-something-extra-with-grace-and-carrie-key/

S2 E14: A Little Something Extra with Erin Johnson

Author, influencer, sister, and sibling advocate; Erin Johnson joins the show this week alongside her brother, Matt! This episode goes out to all the amazing sibling advocates out there. Erin is the older sister of her brother, Matt, who has Down syndrome. Erin and Matt share a story that a lot of people can relate to. Just a brother and sister who share lots of love, laughs, and appreciation for each other. Erin wanted to share her sibling story with the world to show the beauty of having a brother with Down syndrome and how amazing the journey is as an adult. Matt is now the uncle to a niece and nephew, and he could not handle the job any better!

In the episode, Erin and Matt share their sibling journey, giving us some valuable life lessons that any of us can learn from! We also talk about the impact that Matt has had on Erin outside of their relationship, such as her career, her experience as an author, even her decision to adopt a child with Down syndrome with her husband. Of course, we learn Matt and Erin’s Little Something Extra, and GiGi finishes things off with some tips on “loving your family”. We hope this one gives a little perspective on the importance of family!

You can find Erin and Matt on social media @Erinadvocates

Watch the video version of this epsoide here.