{"podcast":{"title":"Side Hustle Pro","slug":"side-hustle-pro-219020","podcast_index_feed_id":219020,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/659c22ccb31581001651ebcd","website_url":"https://sidehustlepro.co/","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/659c22ccb31581001651ebcd/1704813387576-56024f662bd39299b657bb9c2744b765.jpeg","author":"Nicaila Matthews Okome | Side Hustle Pro Media","episode_count":527,"summary":"Side Hustle Pro spotlights bold black women entrepreneurs who have scaled from side hustle to profitable business. Join Chief Side Hustler turned full-time entrepreneur Nicaila Matthews Okome for your weekly installment of Side Hustle Pro and learn actionable strategies to start small and get going–wherever and whoever you are. Side Hustle Pro features interviews with inspiring Black women entrepreneurs who started out as side hustlers, including interviews with Myleik Teele, Morgan DeBaun, Tiffany \"The Budgetnista\" Aliche, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-21T08:19:28.665331+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020"},"episode":{"title":"509: Opening Up About My Journey as an Autism Mom","slug":"509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom","published_at":"2026-04-10T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020/509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020","url":"https://shows.acast.com/side-hustle-pro/episodes/opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/659c22ccb31581001651ebcd/e/69d87abc97d78f9e2b28d511/media.mp3","summary":"This episode is one of the most personal and vulnerable conversations I’ve ever shared. I’m opening up about my journey as an autism mom, from the early days of pregnancy and motherhood during the pandemic to navigating the realities of developmental delays, diagnoses, and advocacy. What started as subtle concerns about speech delays turned into a life-changing journey through early intervention, therapy, and eventually receiving an official autism diagnosis for my son. Along the way, I’ve had to learn how to advocate fiercely, navigate complex systems, and redefine what motherhood looks like for me and my family. This episode is about the hard moments, the emotional weight, and the unexpected beauty in this journey. It’s also about community, resilience, and learning to see strength in a path that looks different than what I once imagined. Highlights Include 00:00 – Why this episode is deeply personal 02:00 – Pregnancy, birth, and early milestones during the pandemic 04:30 – First signs of speech delay and comparing developmental milestones 06:30 – The emotional impact of early evaluations 07:30 – Starting early intervention: speech and occupational therapy 09:00 – Transition to specialized preschool and navigating the system 11:00 – The hidden challenges of parenting a child with special needs 12:30 – Communication barriers and emotional regulation as a parent 14:00 – The moment I realized how much I’ve been carrying 16:40 – Understanding gestalt language processing 19:30 – Getting an official autism diagnosis 21:00 – Advocating for my son within the school system 23:30 – A “guardian angel” moment that changed everything 27:00 – The role of faith in navigating this journey 29:00 – Finding community and learning from other moms 30:30 – Lessons autism has taught me abo…","meta_description":"This episode is one of the most personal and vulnerable conversations I’ve ever shared. I’m opening up about my journey as an autism mom, from the early d…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1922,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/side-hustle-pro-219020/episodes/509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020/509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}