When Laura Beth Malkowski, Vice President of Day Services at Aspire of WNY, first heard the words “podcast project,” she wasn’t quite sure what she was getting herself into. “I don’t have podcast experience,” she admitted with a laugh. “But I thought—why not try something totally out of my comfort zone?”
The spark of curiosity was all it took to launch her into one of the most exciting and unconventional projects of her career. Laura Beth is now one of the voices behind CP State(d)—a brand-new podcast created by CP State’s Emerging Leadership group.
What started as just an idea that was tossed around between the group has now become something much bigger. The idea was ambitious, but the motivation was simple. The podcast aims to bring fresh perspectives and real conversations to the field of disability services, in a format that’s both accessible and engaging.
“No one needs another PowerPoint presentation,” Laura Beth said. “People want something they can listen to in the car, on a walk, or during their lunch break. Something that feels human.”
And human it is. CP State(d) dives into the topics that shape the lives of people with disabilities and the people who support them: healthcare access, workforce struggles, personal stories, politics, technology, and more.
In fact, one upcoming episode will feature Kathy O’Connell, a licensed mental health counselor, certified rehabilitation counselor, and podcaster who has cerebral palsy herself. Kathy is the Director of Radiant Abilities, LLC, and specializes in helping people with disabilities navigate dating, relationships, and sexuality.
Their conversation centers around empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to form healthy relationships, a topic that Laura Beth says has already opened her eyes to new possibilities. “I’m learning so much,” she shared. “These are things we don’t always talk about openly, but they matter. And I’m learning right along with our audience.”
Behind every episode is a flurry of planning: meetings, research, guest coordination, and writing thoughtful questions. The team records over Zoom, aiming to keep each episode around 30 minutes. They laugh, they stumble, they revise—but above all, they support each other.
“None of us are podcast experts, we’re all just figuring it out together and that’s been the best part. It’s so new, and such uncharted territory, but we’re all enjoying the process,” shares Laura Beth.
What makes this project so special isn’t just the topics or the guests’ collaboration. Team members come from different agencies, different parts of the state, and different stages in their careers, but can all come together to work towards a common goal.
There’s already talk of who they’ll bring on next, new topic ideas, and even recording a live episode at the CP State Conference in October. But for now, she’s taking a moment to reflect on how far the team has come, and how proud she is to be part of something so bold, so new, and so needed.
You can listen to the first episode of CP State(d) now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major listening platforms. Whether you’re a provider, advocate, policymaker, or just someone who cares, Laura Beth invites you to tune in, learn something new, and join the conversation!: https://cpstate.org/cp-state-launches-new-podcast-cp-stated/