In this week’s episode I sat down with Syanne Centeno-Bloom. Syanne is a prominent civil/disability rights activist, content creator and signed model. She has worked with brands like Dove, Thistle and Spire and Victoria’s Secret and also currently serves as a council member for Courage for America, confronting extremist ideologies by far-right lawmakers head-on. We discuss diversity and trends in disability representation, the beauty of vulnerability, showing that being disabled is being human and much, much more.

Follow Syanne: Instagram @syannebloom

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com/ Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Alex Barone. Alex is an actor who can be seen in The Luckiest Girl Alive, Dopesick, as well as the fifth season of Mayans M.C. where he played the character of Bottles. Alex is also an advocate for performers with disabilities and is a mentor to children with limb differences. We discuss wanting to see disabled characters that are sexy and have grit, disability as a brand in the entertainment industry, that disabled people are some of the toughest people you will ever meet, and much, much more.

Follow Alex: Instagram: @alexjbarone

Learn More About Camp No Limits: https://www.nolimitsfoundation.org/

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com/ Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Joshua Castille and Caden Zane Marshall. Joshua is a Deaf performance artist who strives to form meaningful collaborations that explore the boundaries of art. He has worked on various projects in different roles including ASL master, director, actor, set designer, and more. Caden is a seasoned performer, American Sign Language interpreter, and influencer. Caden's 15+ years of experience in the theatre community has led him to focus on topics of queer activism and advocacy for inclusive spaces and works of art that highlight underrepresented communities. We discuss how shows like Deaf West’s Big River and Spring Awakening revolutionized how Broadway saw deaf people on stage, advocating for theater that incorporates rather than tokenizes, why we need to have deaf and disabled people in the rooms where decisions are made and much, much more.

Follow Joshua: Instagram: @castillejoshua Twitter: @CastilleJoshua Website: https://www.joshuacastille.com/

Watch Josh perform Satisfied from Hamilton HERE

Follow Caden: TikTok: @themusicaldealer Instagram: @whereiscaden YouTube: The Musical Dealer Website: https://cadenzane.com/

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com/ Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin