Taking That Wobbly Step, Moving Past Life's Obstacles

Jake April was born with cerebral palsy and grew up being judged before he ever had the chance to show who he is. His story is about challenging first impressions and proving that ability is often misunderstood.

Through his TEDx talk and speaking, Jake shares how shifting from judgment to understanding can change lives — not just for people with disabilities, but for anyone who has ever been underestimated. His message is simple: a first impression is not a final one, and everyone deserves the opportunity to make a second impression.

"A first impression is not a final one — everyone deserves a second impression."

https://jake-april.com/

Live Your Legacy is not just about success stories. It is about meaning, impact, and the courage to shape a life that leaves something valuable behind.

 https://livelegacy.vip

Want to start a podcast and learn how to grow it with purpose? DragonFly Podcast Academy is a space for creators who want support, strategy, community, and monetization opportunities. Join through my affiliate link and take the next step toward building your own show. 

https://www.skool.com/dragonfly-cre8tions/about?ref=f5afe0075dcb4af1855ecb2e64632b67

* Affiliate link — I may receive credit if you join through it, at no additional cost to you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Live Your Legacy. Where every story holds a turning point. And every turning point holds the power of legacy.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome to Live Your Legacy. And this is where we explore how life's defining moments shape legacy. We leave behind. I'm your host, Patricia D. Fordenberg, also known as Patty from New York. And this show is rooted in a simple truth. Grief is not always about death. And sometimes it comes through life's changes, losses, detours, and new beginnings. Here we speak with entrepreneurs, authors, leaders, and creators who have turned life-defining moments into meaningful work and lasting contributions because legacy is not only what we leave behind, it's where we are shaping right now through vision, impact, and purpose. And today I'm honored to welcome our special guest, Jake April, who was born with cerebral palsy, and he grew up being judged before he even had the chance to show who he is. His story is about challenging first impressions and proving that the ability is often misunderstood. Through his TEDx talk and other speaking engagements, Jake shares how shifting from judgment to understanding can change lives, not just for people with disabilities, but for anyone who has ever been underestimated. His message is simple: a first impression is not a final one, and everyone deserves the opportunity to make a second impression. Welcome to the show, our our friend, our guest, Jake April. For those who may not know you, can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and the work you do? Jake, welcome to Live Your Legacy.

SPEAKER_04 2:02

Thank you very much. And I know people are gonna listen to this on your podcast, but your intro is just so good. People have to check it out. So I hope people are gonna check this out on YouTube. So thank you for the question. Yes, as you said, I was born three months premature, a pound 13, and and 29 weeks, and then in the beginning my my parents were told that well I had to go and and spend time in the in the and excuse me in the NICU for a couple months and then I actually came home during the Jewish holidays, which is pretty cool. And yeah, I I had trouble. My doctors originally said I might need be able to walk, but I might need a helmet to me when I fall. The only helmet that I wear now is when I play hockey. So I'm very, I'm very proud of that. And it's something that I'm I'm very, very proud of.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

That's that's really awesome. That's really awesome. I love your enthusiasm. Was there a pivotal moment that changed the direction of your life or work?

SPEAKER_04 3:25

I uh I think so actually.

SPEAKER_02 3:30

I'm sure many stumps a lot because there's so many in life, right? But what is one that really sticks out?

SPEAKER_04 3:38

I think when we and we didn't necessarily talk about this, but I think actually when my cousin passed away. She passed away from a heart condition at twenty-four years old, and she was studying to be a occupational therapist, and I had a connection with her that was an unspoken connection and and still have one, and I I'm trying to live out her legacy as mine, and I know that she w through the work that I've I'm doing, I know she has an impact on me as well. So that is one big step, and just the people who've been in my corner, as I said before, the that doctor and other teachers and and people like that are are going to doubt me and still do, but finding a team is crucial, and I have a team of people that I've worked with by OTS PCs, I've worked with them for 25 years or so. And then yeah, it's it's just it's great to have a a core team that starts with my parents and then goes above and beyond to everyone that I've worked with.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

That's beautiful. You know, you're filled with gratitude, and that's really, really a beautiful thing. May I ask your cousin's name? And and again, my my deepest condolences.

SPEAKER_03 5:24

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

You said you still have a relationship, you know. As a grief consultant, that's what I teach. It's a new relationship, and I'm so happy you found it. Um, may I ask her name? It's okay if you want to keep it private.

SPEAKER_04 5:36

Yeah, her name's Michaela.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Oh, well, thank you for sharing her legacy and uh I'm glad you're carrying the torch. That's just so special and awesome, and uh that's right up my alley, Jake. So thank you for touching. So thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_03 5:52

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

So, was there a revelation, a lesson learned, a personal model? You know, and I know you have your quotes that helped you guide your journey.

SPEAKER_04 6:06

Yeah, one is take the first step, even if it's a wobbly one. I I learned through my speaking engagements, and you inevitably you are told because it's a negative world out there, to be honest with you. We are told what you can't do. So the reason why I got into speaking actually was because of my love of sports and I wanted to become a play-by-play announcer, and I went to school for that at Oxford University, actually, here in New York, and then I was taught by a mentor who told me that I needed to get better at speaking, so I incorporated Toastmasters, which is a speak public speaking group, and then they told me I was pretty good at speaking in in general and just telling my story, and then I started and that I should do it professionally. Then I hired a coach to help me, because I'm very competitive, I wanted to him to help me win some win some trophies at Toastmasters, and then he said, You can you can do this. Um now I've been lucky enough from him to get opportunities to speak on the TEDx stage, and now I'm very blessed and proud to say that my my first keynote speech will be on the thirteenth in Los Angeles, as my sister uh is a I don't know her her her title, but she's part of the friendship circle which helps people with disabilities get hit with people who are not disabled and and you could create a a friendship. It's a weekly it's a weekly meetup for them at at their house and I was and it's nationwide, so I was able to benefit from it as a recipient and my sister was able to val benefit it as a volunteer and uh here in New York and then she went out to LA and and works for them and is gonna be a recipient of or an honoree that night, and I'm gonna be able to give the keynote speech. So it's gonna be a great night and very excited and honored that I was chosen to do such a thing.

SPEAKER_02 8:59

Wow, that's really really awesome. That's really really awesome. And so I did, you know, take a little peek. Actually, watch the whole thing. Your YouTube, uh, on your YouTube channel, you share the TEDx, and you do have give a great story. And I was like, oh my gosh, Jake, you've done a lot and you're amazing. I mean, even the fact that, like, oh, I I love that you went into the journalism for sports. Uh, I loved, you know, the stories you shared, you know, how how your parents, you know, just I I I love the what your mom said. Could I share that uh about the wings?

SPEAKER_04 9:38

You know, oh yes, yeah, definitely share that. It's very powerful.

SPEAKER_02 9:44

Yeah, that was beautiful. Well, if you guys want to know what I'm talking about, you're gonna have to go on his website. We will share that towards the end of the show. And uh thank you.

SPEAKER_04 9:51

I I guess you're you're you said this is only episode nine, but you're broke teaser on in in the podcast world. So thank you very much. That'll get my views up and everything like that. So thank you very much. My wheel's already turning.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

I know, I know we started, no, we we connected through the Audible app called Clubhouse, and we were networking on there, and then you call my interest already, you know, at hello, to be honest. And and and and truthfully, like to make it on the TEDx speaks, like you have an interesting story, right? We know this, right? We know this, and you know, even coming on to the show, we uh happen to be close enough that we might do our own little friendship circle, right? So let's let's take it to the next level. I really like this a lot. I really like this a lot. Making back to the show and the questions. I got a little excited there, I got a little excited there. What would you say to your younger self today?

SPEAKER_04 10:50

I would say figure out what's important in life and figure out what you just want to do because you see everyone else doing it. So it's so in the beginning I was jealous a lot of my friends because they played sports and I didn't play sports at a competitive level that much. I went to adaptive sports. But then I realized that you know what? Fortunately, uh or unfortunately for them, but I guess fortunately for me, I was able to say, you know what? I'm I'm sure not even one person is gonna be a major league baseball player or a professional sports athlete. And so I was able to say, you know what, this is this is going to be just a blip on the radar, and then I'll get to be able to to impact and be on the same level as them when I get older. And and it's it's something that I I mean it didn't come to me when I was young. It it came to me probably probably as I was actually in this speaking realm and it probably came to me at like eight eighteen, nineteen twenty when I first started first started announcing and now I've been able to turn that into a hopefully uh eventually full-time speaking career.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

It looks like it. It looks like it's a me already. Uh Jake, can we go back a little bit? We're talking about when you went to college. Did you say Hofstra?

SPEAKER_04 12:50

Yeah, I went to I went to Hopstra.

SPEAKER_02 12:53

I'm real close by to Hofstra. I'm like literally a hoppin' a scop uh uh scotch.

SPEAKER_04 12:58

Well Well, I went since I feel comfortable with you and and your onions. I'll I guess I'll bag a bit. I went to Hopstra for graduate school.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

You got my interest.

SPEAKER_04 13:10

I went I went to Hopstra for graduate school.

SPEAKER_02 13:15

I went so and they have great communication, and they have a great communication department. That's what that's what I say. Wait a minute, did and did you have an opportunity to use their facilities for for to like you know yeah. I was in the uh I don't know if it's intern or what it's called, but like yeah, whatever you do in there, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:35

I was part of their radio station that actually was, I think, four or five times named the number one covered radio station in the country.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

That's why it caught my interest, Jake.

SPEAKER_04 13:50

I've earned some award from there, so it it's definitely it's definitely humbling to say that I was able to to be part of that terrific crew.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

That's really really uh that's really cool. That's really cool. That's still an aspiration for me, okay? So that's really really cool. What wisdom would you want your future self to keep holding on to?

SPEAKER_04 14:18

The wisdom that I would like my future self to keep holding on to and to possibly increase is to have that that innate sense to realize that what you can't do doesn't affect what you can do and the people that you love will always will always accept you for that. So it's as I've gotten older I've been able to realize this, but I will never be asked to to be on or to race my my nieces or maybe or maybe take care of take care of them physically because I can't do that. But when my when my sister needs someone to help her proofread something, she's I'm the first one that she goes to for that. You're the guy. So I recognize that even though I can't do certain things, I could definitely do other things. And I thought that was what I couldn't do was important earlier because it was so pointed out to me physically with my friends or my acquaintances being more physically capable than I was. But now now we're on the on the same level and it's as I get older I get upset sometimes to know about my future and the fact that I want to have kids in a family of my own and and maybe physically I can't do some stuff with them if if they want to like ice skate or anything like that. That is not something that I would be able to do with them, but uh at least in uh quote unquote normal terms, but I've I've come to grips that that doesn't pair in comparison with the lessons that I'll be able to teach them from my hard work and and my perseverance and eventually hopefully my wife will see that as well. So I I believe my my psychiatrist, psychologist, she's really helped me with that. So and I meant her at I met her at Clubhouse as well. Michelle Fun and Yep.

SPEAKER_02 17:12

Oh, that's so cool, and I love your state of awareness because that's like the golden key, right? When you can own it, be aware of it, instead of just you know, asking, like, why not me? Why did that happen? Just being in a state of awareness that okay, you know what? Like, I'm not capable of that, but who is capable of everything? Could you please tell me who is capable of everything? I really need that. I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think so. I don't think so, you know. So people don't know how to cook, you know, something that you would think, oh, that anybody could cook. No, not everybody can cook, just to make a point. So, uh, who has been, and this is gonna be a tough one, and there could be more than one, so you know, use your discretion. But I always say, what comes first to mind? Who has been one of the most memorable mentors in your life and why?

SPEAKER_04 18:06

I know it's a tough one, yeah. One of the most memorable mentors in my life was my first. Um, well, not my first, but very early when I went to when I transferred into mainstream school, I had an aide. She was actually my first crush. Um wasn't wasn't necessarily wasn't necessarily at that time. But she quickly became someone that I despised um because she made me she would tell me we would go to class and I would forget my binder. And she would allow me to go to the next class and say, What did you forget? And then we would go back to the other class and get my binder. I despise her for that. But it just made me more responsible and like I remember I remember one time that um and this has come true. So one time she I think at the end of a test that I might have failed, she just told me, remember the goal is for you to not need me, and the goal is for me to not to be a teacher one day. So she's she's a teacher, and I've gone on to do a couple things educationally, which uh I would like to say I'm proud of.

SPEAKER_02 19:47

So that's beautiful. And now that you shared that story, I remember we had an open conversation and you tapped on a little bit about this when the subject was, you know, regarding tough love. And I know you mentioned it because this was in love, right? She was doing these things, right? In in lieu of tough love, and then again, now you are grateful because of it. So that was beautiful, beautiful story.

SPEAKER_04 20:13

I remember I remember she was, I went to my my mom's best friend is an OT or was an O Chi, and she would come into my room to make sure everything was was all cop copacitic. And she said, I promise I will never be as tough as Jody is. And Jody's like a mother to me, so and I'm like, great, but I'm like, at the end of the day, she was tougher, and it was it's funny uh it worked out that way, but I'm definitely grateful and the person I am today because of uh Rossi, who is now Mrs. Kendall, and she has children and and everything like that. So it's it's interesting to see how far we've come because now now she's a teacher and um I think we've we set a goal for me to to go to college, but for me to be able to be living on my own right now, I think that's even bigger than than the college goal that we set. And I'm I'm sure she's that's like neck to neck for me.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

Yeah, I I feel like that's neck to neck because I mean they're they're they're two different lanes, they're they're both big achievements. So congratulations either way, because that's a that's a big deal. That's really a big deal, and you know, it it's like it's it's really awesome when we could write and we could reflect and see all those lessons learned. So, this is this question, you know, this is a staple question. What does legacy mean to you personally? And again, legacy is one of those words that we're hearing a lot lately for some reason, and again, show is your legacy, but it could mean show. many things and it's personal to each one. So what does it mean to you, Jake?

SPEAKER_04 22:06

For me, it's living some and this is cliche, but living a life that you're proud of that that everyone else is gonna want. And everyone else is gonna want to follow.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Okay, so say it again because I interrupted you. Because I I I I love I love that and it it it deserves to be heard again.

SPEAKER_04 22:27

Yeah. Live a life that you are proud of and everyone else is gonna want to follow it I've learned I thought by saying everyone else is gonna wanna follow, I thought if I like the TV show, everyone else should like that TV show. But now I've realized that it's it's not about all like the direct things. It's it's some things that aren't direct. I I know that that maybe I disagree with like what my mom tells me to do sometimes. But I still love her and I'm um when push comes to shop I'm going to remember her le her lessons that she has imparted on me and my my dad as well and and it's something that I'm proud of to say that that's gonna be that is I I have to remind myself sometimes is what's important in life and and and that is is what's important when they eventually pass on and and when I I eventually pass on not ever not not everyone's gonna be a sports fan like myself or interested in in public speaking. But if my next generation my kids would say, oh Jake did I don't like public speaking but Jake showed me how to go for my goals uh and how to respect people and how to how to be a approachable person. That's something that I want others to take away versus my own hobbies that I enjoy.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

Hmm that's so beautiful and you know it's almost like you read my mind because my next question was what do you hope people remember remember you most by and and you know the work that you serve so you pretty much expanded on that already.

SPEAKER_04 24:51

But is there anything else you want to add to that caveat I hope I am remembered as someone who worked hard who was able to get knocked down and and get back up and was able to see what she was unable to do but adapted to it and it's something that I'm I'm very proud of in terms of me personally and physically it was di it's difficult for me to do some dressing by myself so like buttons and and zippers and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

So we think about that right we that's a big feature when you have like challenges you know with you know fine motor skills. Fine motor skills so I have created relationships with people in the adaptive fashion world that have me able to to do my own own maintenance because they because of their great they their great insight and so now they have magnets instead of buttons and and that helps me live independently and it's just something that that is I'm so grateful for and also an industry that I could get into myself as it always feels weird but like there's not many models that are men in in especially in that industry so it feels weird to like take advantage of of the a deficit that I have but it's also I think it's sparing in some way so it's 100% that to me is like you know it's almost like okay I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna like compare it to when you when you help somebody right you know you're helping somebody but it feels so good that you almost feel guilty like you know you know you're helping from the goodness of your your your heart to help somebody who needs help right but then you end up feeling good so that this story reminds me of that you know this this story reminds you that but it's actually a good thing because people need to know that this is available so it's really really awesome I I love it. I love it too to to think about it as like we all have purposes in life and many people just do a nine to five job to get what they need in life and and that's that's absolutely their prior our priority but if you are talented enough to see something else that you could do to help people that you could that you can monetize off of yeah why not why not if it comes in your path uh I think that's you know on purpose yeah I'm all about living you know for purpose on purpose so if you could do it all over again if you could do it all over again would you change anything or did every part of your journey have a purpose I think I would change yeah I would change the white life has has formed me some cardboards I would if I got to pick what what disability I had it wouldn't be a physical disability it would probably be ADHD or something which I I still have today but I also wouldn't be able to say literally take the wob take the first step even if it's a wobble one and I I think that's powerful because I'm able to take that wobbley first step and not many people could say they literally are living what they what they preach.

SPEAKER_04 29:06

So it's all right to that extent. So it worked out well. So I I've learned how to cope with it and I think most of it is based off of other people's ignorance and not giving me a a second chance or judging me based off of my first impression because now I've I've learned how to live my life of independence and life of my own it's just about being accepted for who I am and and everyone at Clubhouse and specifically you today and Patty have shown me that that you are doing that. So thank you for having me on I greatly appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 29:56

No my honor I was so excited I I call it say yes to the dress when you know I was honored that you know you were gonna come on you know I I did like your story you're a really nice person and you're being you boo and that's the that's the important part right you're being you boo so this is this is this is you know the the golden nugget question I save the best for last what is something about your journey that most people would be surprised to learn yeah when you got when you asked me that question I was so pumped up because one thing went got immediately went in my mind so actually my my PT her name is was well she is retired now her name's Patty as well and yeah and we have done did practice walking and running and we did speeds to figure out how how I was able to assimilate and keep up with people just like if I needed to walk in an airport or something like that.

SPEAKER_04 31:13

Okay. And then I and then I so we timed myself then I went like very fast one day. So I said to Patty do you think I could be on the track team? She said yeah why not because you're you're not like you're by yourself. So I convinced my mom to allow me to be on the track team for practice and then she look she's like you look a little bit wiped out after going around the track for two two time two whole times and then so so I coached that and then she ended up like making me work walk uh thirty feet like not even thirty thirty feet and back and then and then we would call it a a day so I he he did the real extreme there so I ended up quitting but it it's an experience that I will never forget so I I love when I love that question and thank you for asking it.

SPEAKER_02 32:29

That's really really awesome I'm I'm like wow I really am wow so we are wrapping it up here this was a beautiful beautiful uh you know conversation a lot of a lot of discovery exploration I love that you're doing your you know best work and you know the best is yet to come we're gonna highlight uh your website and again I invite everybody to check out the wipe site I'm gonna share the screen now so we could see a visual on it and here is you know your um hold on let me just scroll back there you are um I love it you know there you are and this is Jake April we're interviewing with Jake April motivational speaker disability advocate and truth teller and there on the top you see all your socials so go ahead follow Jake yeah um this show will be on replay on Tuesday and we're on 14 platforms so check out our website livelegacy.vip for vision impact and purpose it is live your legacy show and I'm just gonna scroll down and here I watched this this was great the TEDx talk great great story and I and I love I love the insight and I love the just everything the overall message and here we go here's a little bit more on the you know and you know go ahead book Jake we got the t-shirts that you're working on revamping that's cool revamping and tell me a little bit about this picture tell me a little bit about this picture funny enough yeah funny enough for a journalist I should know how to spell okay but that is something actually my parents and I and and mom family have been lucky enough to go on skiing vacations every year for 30 years and obviously skiing is something that's tough for me to do with my balance so that's called adaptive skiing I am on a in a chair a wheelchair with a remote control that I am sliding down the hill with and someone is taking just there to make sure I don't I don't fall. Wow love so that that program is called Charge Aspen I've been working with them for a long time I just submit in my I think yeah 20th anniversary there and is it only in aspen or is it all over you you can find you can find them all bro I just my family goes there but you can find them all bro nice so we know where to find you in the winter huh yeah you you do um so that's good that'll be yeah I'm I definitely get a thrill out of that so yeah thank you for asking oh that's great and one more time we're with Jake uh TEDx speaker and uh sports journalist I mean you know you still you still know your stuff I would love to watch a game with you I'm not into games that much but you must be somebody fun to watch games with thank you yeah anyway we'll uh we're gonna be wrapping it up and uh Jake give us some closing remarks well first of all thank you and and thank you for allowing me to tell my story here I truly believe that everyone has a story.

SPEAKER_04 35:59

It just takes some time to figure it out but if we take that time and and and think about what we've gone through in life we could shape that story and just like me having people help me physically you could I'm sure Patty would help you shape a story that you have inside of you or um Marcus Black there in Clubhouse does a book teaching you how to write a book and every everyone there in Clubhouse and Treasure and everyone that is part of that Breakfast Word Champions crew I I do get up early. I do go back to sleep but it's it's worth getting up and and learning all the wisdom that is there.

SPEAKER_02 36:57

So it's great there it just shows you there is some positive stuff on social media so it's a great space it's a great space and we could do a whole another hour talking about Clubhouse so I'm gonna wrap it up this is Live Your Legacy this is where we share turnaround stories to inspire and motivate you uh this is about vision impact and purpose and we welcome you to our you know replays available again on 14 platforms and no thank you so much Jake it's been an honor to have you and look forward to our what is that friendship circle yes yes so okay we gotta work on that yeah yeah we gotta work on that we gotta work on that all right everybody this is Patty from New York and I'll talk to you soon thank you have an amazing thank you guys thank you and every turning point holds the power of legacy every step every scar every stroke we make it done it's done on your