Change from Without with Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:20:20]
I think that’s very cool. What was the name of the song, again? I want to get this out there for people to check it out if they can.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:20:27]
Live to See 40 and it’s on Spotify. Live to See 40. It’s a beautiful song and it’s on Spotify and I think Bandcamp and YouTube. And we made a lyric video about it on our YouTube channel, Live to See 40. You can find it on the Spectrum Fusion YouTube channel. And it’s all the people in the lyric video are actually Spectrum Fusion participants except just a couple.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:20:52]
So we’re going to drop that in our show notes. We’re going to find where you got that in the show notes if you get out there.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:20:59]
And I think time is right for the song, I think people want to know how they can help and how they can make a difference.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:21:07]
So let’s let’s take a step back, so that’s a great story. Tell folks, though, just more generally, what is it that Spectrum Fusion does? Who do they help, which I think folks understand now, but who do they help? How do they help? What is it that it does in general? And then I want to get to The Reactor Room.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:21:24]
OK, so Spectrum Fusion is for adults on the spectrum, or like I said, they may have some other differences and they’re 18 or older, and so they come into the program in different ways and they come into our community. And so I meet with them. I learn about what they’ve been doing, what they want to be doing. Are they stuck? A lot of times people are stuck. I just talked to a parent today and his son is twenty-four and really just doesn’t have any friends in that crushing loneliness. But so the first step is to bring them into the community and then we have other kind of programs that stem from that. So we have The Reactor Room program. Then we have something called Healthy Fusion where we learn how to how to cook and we share meals together. And then we empower individuals to seek to really be able to have their full expression of their creative projects. So not only do I do we not charge them to be part of our program, but we actually pay them for their products. So we have somebody that’s coming out with a book called Tucker for Second. So we’re writing a press release about this is all. So I have to explain the. Because so the idea of The Reactor Room is that these individuals, they do not have the connections or the means in which to achieve these goals, so we remove the financial barriers to access for these connections and what we do. So like I said, I’ll meet with somebody and then learn about their strengths and challenges. We have assessments that we can do and then we talk to them about what it is that we can do to get to that next level. And then I create The Reactor Room event so that The Reactor Room is a program. But then we have the event itself. And for this I create a panel just for them. So if they want to be a writer, I’ll have an editor on the panel. So we’ll have entrepreneurs or business people, community connectors and individuals knowledgeable about their area of interest. So we come together at the event, the participant pitches in. They share what they want to do. The panel, we call them,.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:23:43]
Kind of like Shark Tank, is that right?
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:23:45]
Yes. But it’s friendlier, maybe a Dolphin Tank. And then we have we have the activators. Those are the panel members. And so they’re activating these connections. And then we have people who are there and they’re the energizers and they can give ideas as well. Then we put together an activation plan and then we have the catalyst. We walk through that activation plan. And so if they have a connection to meet somebody, a Houston film commission, if they have a connection here, that we we walk through all of that. And the reason I started Spectrum Fusion Media this is because when we were going to The Reactor Room, the outcomes of that could be an internship and a project. It could be a business launch. We have somebody who launched a business, Jewelry by Sable. We have or it could be somebody who has an idea for a design or product design and invention. But the creative some for the scriptwriters, they were really having a hard time getting connections, so I brought all the all the Connect creatives together and media and I started Spectrum Fusion Media. Now, the Spectrum Fusion media team, they create everything that we need for The Reactor Room so they can create the intro videos. They create the they make a showcase platform on our website. You can see everything that each person coming to The Reactor Room can present to the world about their own gifts and talents. And then we have people who are like, you wouldn’t think it would be somebody on the spectrum would like to be a personal trainer. But we have somebody who just received his certification. We have other somebody else who wants to be a coach, a football coach, and he knows everything about strategy. We have a forensic psychologist. We have an inventor. So these are different. They’re not easy, you know, even if you’re not on the spectrum to get a job. But then if you are so that’s what we’re we’re really trying to do something. So in a job, you need to have A, B, C, D, but with us we say, well, what if you have X or what if you have Q, like where can we go. So we turn it upside down.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:25:57]
Yeah, I like that. That, that sounds a little bit like how I start working with students on their dissertation project when they’re starting to get an idea. The the thing that I find is most critical in that process is what what are you going to actually do for your dissertation? And my company is called Dissertation Done, not dissertation written, because people talk about what people all the time. The critical part is the doing part, you know, actually going out and doing some research. And how you get that done is important. And we talk about assets. What affinities do you have? What connections do you have? What things do you have that can we can maybe leverage into a dissertation project regardless as to what that project might look like? Do you have access to people or tools or techniques or whatever it might be that we can leverage? We start there. And I think that idea of taking strengths and figuring out what you can do with them and utilizing them is so much better than a lot of people think about. Well, you’ve got a weakness here. You should work on that. Yeah, maybe depending on what the weakness is, but you shouldn’t let it hold you back. You know, I tell folks all the time you Michael Jordan doesn’t care that you can’t do his taxes. Maybe he can, but he probably doesn’t because he has someone else to help with that. If that’s a weakness, doesn’t matter that get someone else to do that. And almost whatever it is, you can get someone else to do it for you. And so if you have a little bit of trouble communicating in certain ways to exploit your strengths and hire a communicating assistant so that you can communicate with that person and he or she helps you communicate with the rest of the world, it doesn’t matter even with the weakness, is that sort of obvious or critical? You can still get around it. Playing to your strengths is what’s so important.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:27:46]
And so I I think that’s exactly right. You’re saying with Dissertation Done.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:27:55]
You’ve already told us one amazing story of the songwriter, Chris. Is there another story or two that you might be able to share? And I know you mentioned there might be someone who wanted to share his own story. I’m not sure if that was going to work out today or not.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:28:11]
OK, well, when I was a clinical supervisor at the University of Houston, I was running the language learning group and there was a little boy in my group. Nicholas and I have seen so many kids and so many children on my caseload, but I have always remembered Nicholas. And so then I moved to London and then I’m sitting in Edinburgh. And then I, I came back and I think it was 14 years later and I was presenting at Rice University. And this man came up and said, I don’t know if you remember me, but my name is is Rick. And I remembered him. And I said, I do. And I remember your son Nicholas. And he said, Well, now my son is an adult and we need help. We’re at a crossroads. And and so I said, OK, so he started working with us. Nicholas did. And he was a trainer using your university and he was really struggling there. And he didn’t think he was going to be able to make it through. And but we were able to work everything out. And he was successful in earning his associate’s degree. Then he came back to Houston and then we started working with him in our Wings program. And he’s the one who just passed his personal training exam. It’s a certification that’s a very either you have to have a four year degree in exercise science osis. And it’s not easy, really. So that’s and now we’re talking to somebody. I mean, not that this is going to lead to anything, but we do have a connection at the Atlanta Hawks. But it would be we’re going to be visiting their training facility. And I just wish that if he could get an internship or something like that, because he knows everything about basketball.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:29:48]
Yeah. And just to intern there, he would, first of all, learn a lot. But second of all, you put that down in your portfolio, right. Because that’s that’s not something everybody can say. And I don’t follow the NBA so closely right now to know who’s on the Atlanta Hawks, but certainly to be able to say I trained so and so and so and so. And it would be like, OK, so get them to jump so high or whatever it might be. That’s an awesome experience for him.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:30:17]
Yeah. And then the other young man, he wanted to Nicklaus, you get that right, Nicholas Nicklaus, and he’s a certified trainer, OK. And he’s going to make a series of videos with our media team about exercises that we can do in the comfort of our own home and our own backyard. So we’re just starting that series.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:30:40]
And we need that now because right now we’re still in the middle of this COVID thing. I said in the middle before, I hope we’re not in the middle, but we’re in the midst of this thing still.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:30:51]
Yeah. And then we did have a man that came in and man and he wanted to be a videographer and but he was very anxious and he had severe disfluency so he couldn’t really speak. I mean, words were not coming out. And so I said, it looks like you have a degree from the Art Institute of Houston. Yes. He nodded and I said, sure to be part of this. And he nodded. Well, now you he is our right hand man. He is the one that presents. So one day we were presenting a video at a gala that they had actually produced and he came in that day with it. He looked really all he had these glasses on that he’s never worn, like those Japanese glasses that don’t have lenses. And he was just like a different person. And we went to the gala and he was so proud and he’s never taken those glasses off. And it’s sort of like that was old Phil. And now there’s new Phil. Yes. The new film is is here. And he’s really seriously my right hand man. Yes, I know if anybody needs anything, they ask Phil and he’s doing the phone calls and he’s, you know, and so nobody would have known that he he was disfluent.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:32:17]
To say that certain people don’t have issues that are very, very difficult to overcome would be a disservice to them. They certainly do, but there are certainly a lot of folks that need very little other than the opportunity, someone to really believe in them and trust in them, give them some responsibility and and in an area that they resonate with. I think that’s probably an important part of this, too, is that you you provided the community that was already in his heart and to be able to be there as where he was able to thrive. It’s just wonderful to hear these stories.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:32:52]
And and then we have other people who have ideas for inventions, and while they’ve been afraid to share with anybody because either their ideas have been stolen or something, and then I have the one of the most amazing stories is that this veteran called me and said, I’ve called every autism organization in Houston and I can’t get any help. I know, man. He’s I’m sure he’s on the spectrum. He’s never been diagnosed. Something’s going on. And well, I went out there and in his living, I can’t really explain. But he was living he’s homeless. But, you know, sometimes he would stay in this place. They called The Point and he just was under a tarp or just out in the open. But a lot of times he was homeless, so I would drive around looking for him. And so this was going on for a couple of years. If I would find him sometimes I wouldn’t find him. And so one day I said, if I can find you every Saturday, I’ll work with you. And so but once he was on the computer and everything we conducted on these assessments, he is so dedicated. Well he’s now he’s sixty five. He just had a birthday. Sixty six. He’s so intelligent, he knows everything about everything, but he’s been out of touch and so he doesn’t even know how to use a laptop or, or a smartphone or anything. So he’s here today and we are. So I was able to find a place for him to live and now he’s learning how to use it. And he’s going to go into these training to be a welder. And he’s done some welding, but he’s so determined to learn how to use a computer, you know, and this is somebody that you would never, ever thought, you know, but you can’t give up on people.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:34:35]
You can’t you can’t. You give people again, they give them an opportunity to give them a little bit of trust and and a little bit of responsibility and they’ll surprise you.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:34:48]
Yes, yeah,.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:34:49]
This is amazing. Now, did you say you had someone that you wanted to.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:34:52]
You want me to go?
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:34:53]
If you’d like to do that, that would be awesome.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:34:55]
All right.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:35:00]
So we’re taking just a quick little break here, but Dr. Ham told me when just before we started that one of the folks with Spectrum Fusion was there and she thought he might like to share his story. And I thought that that would be very interesting for everyone to hear, you know, not just doctor him speak about the work that she’s been doing, but actually hear from someone who’s been through that process. I know that when my students talk about what dissertation done is meant to them, they often do so in words that I would never use yourself, though. Here. Here he is.
Phil Thomas [00:35:41]
Hi.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:35:42]
Good afternoon. Hello.
Phil Thomas [00:35:45]
Yeah, my name is Phil Thomas. I’m a I’m a videographer for hire. Of course, I’ve been working with my confusion ever since the twenty eighteen course. My intent is just to get myself into the into the filming industry. Never ever since 2018 I’ve been helping out Spectrum Fusion and they’re in their own tasks in providing footages and videos of promoting their activities.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:36:18]
Has Spectrum Fusion made a difference?
Phil Thomas [00:36:20]
It has is made a real big difference in my life.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:36:25]
That’s amazing. So what kind of video work have you have you done, Phil?
Phil Thomas [00:36:30]
Well, it’s more like just kind of like a little bit of a promotion’s like especially for other organizations such as maybe Houston, Early Music, Flex, Johnson and Johnson and Johnson.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:36:45]
That’s a pretty big name there. And you said you want to get out to Hollywood and work on feature films. Is that what you like to do?
Phil Thomas [00:36:52]
Well, well, well, it usually depends on what kind of a field they want me to go for, either be kind of like maybe commercial, OK. Either way, I’m well, I’m perfectly OK with them.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:37:09]
Well, you use your talents and do something you love doing is is a real blessing. And I know Dr. Ham was asking you can off camera there what Spectrum Fusion has done for you, but can you think of a specific change that has happened for you or a specific story you might like to share with us?
Phil Thomas [00:37:27]
Well, the thing is sort of the fact that the Spectrum Fusion has made me, just made me gained a lot of confidence. I mean, usually in the past, I just had a lot of trouble just finding myself a job in the film industry. I mean, I had no luck, but concerning the fact that ever since I just already applied for the position at Indy Dotcom, I mean, it’s just been building up my, building me up to to move myself, a little bit more into working a little bit. It’s just it’s just it’s intriguing.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:38:03]
Yeah. I love the fact that you use that word confidence. We’ve talked about that on the show before. That confidence comes from experience and Spectrum Fusion, provided you had an opportunity to get some experience in working on these projects. Right.
Phil Thomas [00:38:16]
Right.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:38:17]
And once you started doing them, you you knew in your heart that you could do them.
Phil Thomas [00:38:21]
Yes.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:38:22]
That’s that’s amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us today. Phil, I really appreciate it.
Phil Thomas [00:38:28]
Thank you.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:38:29]
We have somebody else. Would you like to talk to anybody else?
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:38:33]
Hey, the more the merrier. Sure.
Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham [00:38:38]
You can just say hi, OK?
Brennan Guidry [00:38:41]
Oh, man, I’m way too tall for this. OK, let me back up some more in the frame, I have to move the dog. OK, come on. Just so the.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:38:55]
Family environment, there at Spectrum Fusion, right.
Brennan Guidry [00:38:58]
Yeah. Yeah. No, I get it. Oh, there we go.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:39:00]
No worries.
Brennan Guidry [00:39:03]
Hello. My name is Brennan Guidry. So I actually. Well, I’m more of a production guy so I actually edit videos and create motion graphics for our clients at Spectrum Fusion. So unlike Phil, who is a photographer and cinematographer, I’m still learning more on that side. So, yeah.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:39:28]
So he shoots the film and then you you make it look good later, right?
Brennan Guidry [00:39:32]
Yeah, that’s pretty much and still does a lot of the editing, too. But I usually handle more on the visual effects and motion graphics side. So if like for example, like the Johnson and Johnson thing, I made a motion graphic that has like whoever their title card and everything, OK and whatnot, so.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:39:55]
Very nice, very nice, have you have you have you done any sort of special effects yet? I know you mentioned title cards. Have you done anything where you smoke or blowing things up or any of those kind of cool things they do in the movies?
