Two Years In – Growth, Gratitude, and the Gift of Being Seen
Two years.
Two years of recording, editing, posting, and sharing my heart with the world through this podcast.
Drumroll, please!
When I celebrated my first year, I shared some numbers—not to brag, but to acknowledge the growth and the community that has formed around this work. Today, I’m doing it again. These stats are more than numbers to me; they’re a record of countless moments, connections, and conversations that have changed both me and those who listen.
Year One: From a Spark to a Flame
When I launched the podcast on July 17, 2020, my very first episode received just six plays. By September of that year, I had created a website, which drew eight views—all from the United States. That same month, I started social media accounts, each gaining 16 followers.
On August 19, 2020, the podcast officially became international when a listener in Canada tuned in. Within a week of appearing on Spotify, it had 39 plays and nine listeners.
The momentum continued. By November 2020, the podcast reached 1,000 plays. In January 2021, I started a YouTube channel, which gained 13 subscribers right away.
By the end of that first year:
Plays on Spotify: 3,176
Most plays in one day: 65
Listeners on Spotify: 146
Followers on Spotify: 58
Facebook: 131 followers, 119 likes
Instagram: 86 followers
YouTube: 22 subscribers, 496 views, 18 likes
Newsletter subscribers: 45
Reach: 45 U.S. states, 41 countries, 490 cities
Website views: 1,812
Episodes released: 52 (17 interviews, 36 solo episodes)
Year Two: Expanding the Reach
Fast forward to today. The podcast has:
Spotify plays: 6,921
Most plays in one day: 91
Total downloads: 3,550
Listeners on Spotify: 309
Followers on Spotify: 86
Google Podcasts: 237 plays, 3,850 minutes listened, 30 subscribers
Facebook: 1,000 followers, 222 likes
Instagram: 532 followers
Twitter: 69 followers
YouTube: 33 subscribers, 1,512 views, 83.5 hours watched
Newsletter subscribers: 45 (steady!)
Reach: 50 U.S. states, 61 countries, 3,929 website views, 4,748 cities counted
Most Popular Episodes – Anchor
Top 10 by plays:
Episode 1 – Strengths and Differences of NLD (285 plays)
Episode 10 – Interview with Lauren on strengths and differences (186)
Episode 9 – NLD and Sports (177)
Episode 6 – Dating and Quirks of NLD (169)
Episode 36 – Myths and Facts about NLD (155)
Episode 3 – Commonality of NLD, How to Diagnose, Symptoms (148)
Episode 8 – Multitasking with NLD (131)
Episode 4 – Issues with Social Situations (111)
Episode 3 (second part) – Mental Math and NLD (111)
Episode 37 – What Is “Normal” for NLDers (101)
Most Popular Episodes – Website
Top 10 by views:
Episode 23 – Auditory Memory (98 views)
Episode 20 – My Personal Past & the Meaning of My Pen Name (72)
Episode 49 – Driving Lessons (70)
Episode 17 – Managing Money (69)
Episode 27 – Chronic Pain and NLD (65)
Episode 26 – Being Made Fun Of with NLD (47)
Episode 1 – Strengths and Differences of NLD (45)
Episode 11 – Driving with NLD (44)
Episode 52 – Taking Care of Yourself & Posing for Pictures with NLD (44)
Episode 9 (Year Two) – The Effects of Ghosting (43)
The Heart Behind the Numbers
In two years, I’ve released 104 episodes—36 interviews and 70 solo episodes. The Facebook chats, which started as small Zoom gatherings with about 10 people, have remained a safe space for discussion and connection.
But beyond all the stats, what fills me with the most pride is the support system that has carried me here. My family—my brother, my mom, my dad, my grandma, and yes, even my dog, Truffles—have been my cheerleaders. Friends like Natalie, Christian, and Jeff have believed in my vision from the beginning.
I’m also deeply grateful to the NVLD Project, where I serve as an ambassador. They’ve helped promote the podcast and given me a platform to share my writing. Many of my blogs for them began as podcast scripts.
Reflections on Invisibility and Visibility
Two years in, I wanted to revisit a topic close to my heart: the invisibility and visibility of NLD.
Living with a condition like NLD can make you feel invisible—misunderstood, dismissed, or simply unseen—because others can’t see the daily challenges. This isn’t limited to NLD; anxiety, chronic migraines, chronic pain, OCD, ADHD, ASD, and countless other conditions can make someone’s struggles invisible to the outside world while being painfully real on the inside.
For me, the invisibility comes from having no in-person connections who share my exact combination of challenges—NLD, migraines, and a history of sexual abuse. Virtual connections have been invaluable, but they’re different from having someone across the table who truly “gets it.”
Making the Invisible Seen
NLD becomes visible in moments—clumsiness, awkward social interactions, difficulty with sports, or forgetting the thread of a story. It’s invisible in other ways: internal battles with math, writing, or self-expression; comorbidities like migraines; or the emotional toll of constantly adapting.
And just like autism, NLD exists on a spectrum. Some experience severe challenges, others more mild ones. The fact that it’s no longer in the DSM frustrates me, but the NVLD Project’s recent proposal for re-inclusion—and a possible new name, Developmental Visual-Spatial Disorder—offers hope for recognition and understanding.
Looking Ahead
Creating this podcast has changed me. I’m not the same person I was when I recorded that first shaky episode. Now, I’m planning something bigger: turning the podcast into a book. It will likely become a memoir, published in stages, blending personal stories with interviews from the podcast.
It’s a big project—there’s a lot to transcribe—but I believe it will make these conversations even more accessible, preserving them in a form that can be held, reread, and passed on.
Two years down, and I’m still just getting started.
Thank you for listening, for sharing, and for making this community what it is. Here’s to making the invisible a little more visible, one story at a time.
