In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland sits down with Brooke Brown—a passionate advocate, spiritual wellness guide, and founder of Brooke’s Butterfly Touch. Brooke, who lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, shares how her journey led her to discover Reiki, energy healing, and the power of self-connection.
As an Ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona and host of the Rolling in Grace podcast, Brooke empowers others to live with purpose, embrace their uniqueness, and become their own biggest advocates. She shares her message of accessibility, inclusion, and disability visibility, along with the importance of assuming competence in every interaction.
💜 Brooke’s mission is simple but powerful: help others reconnect with their spirit, lead fulfilling lives, and see disability through a lens of strength, not limitation.
🎧 In this episode:
- Brooke’s journey with cerebral palsy
- Discovering Reiki and spiritual healing
- The story behind Brooke’s Butterfly Touch
- Her role as a UCP Ambassador
- The Rolling in Grace podcast and disability advocacy
- Why we must always assume competence and bless our differences
📹 Watch Brooke speak at Life Recovery Church:
Always Assume Competence – Blessing Our Differences
🦋 Learn more about Brooke:
https://brookesbutterflytouch.com/
👩🦼 UCP Ambassador Profile:
https://ucpofcentralaz.org/ambassadors/brooke-brown/
🎧 Listen to Rolling in Grace:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rolling-in-grace-podcast/id1674482810
If you’re passionate about disability advocacy, spiritual growth, or building a more inclusive world, this episode will uplift and inspire.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Watch on YouTube
Listen on Spotify
Adaptive athlete and motivational speaker Robert Rodriguez, also known as Robert Anthony, joins Mike Bolland on We’re Not Stumped for a conversation about growing up with limb difference, finding confidence through sports, and supporting others through limb loss. Born with fibular hemimelia, Robert shares the physical and social challenges he faced as a child, including bullying and barriers in sports. He reflects on his family’s support and his path into amputee soccer, paratriathlon, and beach volleyball. Mike and Robert also challenge the assumption that experiencing limb loss early in life means someone automatically has it easier—or has less to offer a person navigating a recent amputation.
Does being born with a limb difference—or experiencing amputation as a child—mean you have it easier? In this solo episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland challenges an assumption that can leave people feeling dismissed within their own community. Born without a right hand, Mike shares why physical adaptation tells only part of the story. Through his podcast and community work, he’s met people whose experiences include bullying, employment barriers, relationship challenges, and depression. While these experiences don’t all reflect his own journey, they deserve acknowledgment. Acquiring a disability later in life brings its own challenges, including grief and adjustment. Recognizing those experiences doesn’t require minimizing the challenges of congenital limb difference or childhood limb loss. This episode invites us to listen more closely, question what we assume about others, and support one another without ranking whose journey is harder.
How can voiceover and adaptive sports create opportunities for people with disabilities? Phoenix-based voiceover artist Tony Jackson joins Mike Bolland on We’re Not Stumped to share his experiences behind the microphone and on the power soccer court. Tony serves as the Grant Coordinator and Power Soccer Coordinator at Ability360. We explore his path into voice acting, accessibility in casting, and how adaptive sports build teamwork, confidence, and a sense of belonging.
