Things About Things
What do you get when you put a hearing impaired extroverted special education teacher and a hard of hearing introverted technology librarian in the same room? Hearing Things with Julie and Brad, that’s what.
Because we like to give credit where credit is due, we wanted to share those things we draw inspiration from for the show. Read on to find out why you should go down the tubes with us!
Brad’s Inspirations
Tom’s Show
The name pays homage to his brother’s Facebook Group Trying Things with Tom. He’s on the never-ending quest to find his next favorite food. He tries all sorts of stuff. Better him than me, I say. I have what I like to call a refined palette but know full well, I’m a picky eater. Tom? He’s a human garbage disposal…but in a good way!
SYSK Podcast
I kept my favorite podcast Stuff You Should Know in mind as I worked out who I am as a co-host. Josh Clark and Charles W (Chuck) Bryant have such an easy, witty, complimentary style that I think they’re my friends. (Which is called a parasocial relationship. And, yes, they did an episode on that.) Turns out it wasn’t all that much work to mimic them! I’m like Josh and Julie’s like Chuck. I hope our partnership lasts even half as long as theirs. There up over 1500 episodes.
A Book
I’m going to say this until you’re sick of hearing it (already there?) but I am so thankful for Shari Eberts and Gael Hannon’s book Hear & Beyond. If I accomplish anything for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, if I help even one person live well with hearing loss, it’s thanks to this book.
Julie’s Inspirations
Talk Shows
I love a talk show – from the highbrow to the trashy – there is not a single one that I would not watch. As a child, I would religiously watch Phil Donahue run around the sound stage with his skinny microphone and his white hair flopping all over the place. As time went on, I added Jenny Jones, Montel Williams, Jerry Springer, Sally Jesse Rafael, Ricki Lake, and Rosie O’Donnell to the rotation. And of course, my ultimate inspiration, Oprah Winfrey. I have been asked a million different ways what my “dream job” would be if I wasn’t a teacher – and the answer is always the same – talk show host. I finally got the chance with “Hearing Things with Julie and Brad” – and I take full advantage of my years of observational research as I attempt to balance active listening while asking thoughtful and probing questions, and also mixing in some humor, too – but not too much to deviate from the topic at hand. I am so excited that I have the opportunity to hone my skills on our show – and am confident that I’ll soon be ready for my own comfy couch and set to call my very own complete with a live studio audience, of course!
Family
On a more personal note, my inspiration flows to me from my ancestors and family that have supported me through my hearing loss journey. In particular, my Grandma – Angelina Nigro DeMatteo – as she was the one that assured my parents that I was going to be ok when I got hearing aids. She said that when people met me, they would meet me – not my hearing aids. She would encourage me when I was frustrated and counsel me when times were challenging – especially as a child that was not always treated fairly by her peers due to her disability. She was a devout believer in a higher power, and was persistent in her commitment to bring me to healers in an attempt to “cure” my hearing loss (I wrote a blog post about this some years back). Unconventional? Sure. But I do believe that through her strong faith, the power of prayer and the intentions that she sent out to the universe, she gave me the strength to move through this world with my head held high, a commanding presence and the courage to fiercely advocate for myself and others with disabilities.
Co-Host
Lastly, I draw inspiration from my co-conspirator in this project, Brad McKenna. We planned out our first episode after having had our first conversation 6 days prior. We are both putting ourselves “out there” in a very big, scary, and vulnerable way – and for how gregarious and outgoing I am, it is nothing short of terrifying each time we publish a blog post or send an episode out into the void. I am grateful for his trust in me and this project as we continue to take a leap of faith each time we create and share our content.