342: You Are Beautiful: Building a Business, Finding Your Voice with Raquel Caramello

What happens when you take a simple message like “You Are Beautiful” and turn it into a business that's changing lives?

As we wrap up Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Heather sits down with Raquel Caramello, a jewelry designer, entrepreneur, college student, and disability advocate who is doing things her own way.

After experiencing bullying and navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis, Raquel turned her desire to help others feel seen and valued into Raquel Beautiful, a growing jewelry and gift business built around the message that everyone is beautiful and worthy, exactly as they are.

In this episode, we're talking about:

• How Raquel turned personal challenges into a business centered on kindness, confidence, and celebrating others.

• What it's like to be a young entrepreneur with Down syndrome, from building a brand and navigating rejection to advocating for herself and others.

• Raquel's college experience, big dreams for the future, and why she wants everyone to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.

Raquel's story is a reminder that every person deserves the opportunity to pursue their passions, make their own choices, and have their voice heard.

RESOURCES & LINKS

• ⁠Raquel Beautiful⁠ — Shop Raquel's jewelry, custom gifts, and accessories.

• Pay It Forward Program — Visit Raquel's website to learn how you can help share gifts of encouragement with others.

• Raquel Beautiful – Business Accounts

  • ⁠Instagram – @raquelbeautiful⁠

  • ⁠TikTok – @raquelbeautifulofficial⁠

  • ⁠YouTube – @raquelbeautifulofficial⁠

  Raquel's Personal Accounts

  • ⁠Instagram – @raquelcaramello⁠

  • ⁠TikTok – @raquel.caramello⁠

  • ⁠Facebook – Raquel Caramello⁠

  Website: ⁠RaquelBeautiful.com⁠

Also check out ⁠Episode 257: “Brother Do You Love Me?: A Journey of Resilience and Repair” with Manni and Reuben Coe.⁠

The episode explores their relationship, Reuben's experience with Down syndrome, and their journey together, including walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

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Thank You to Our Sponsors

Down For Greens creates practitioner-formulated, third-party-tested greens specifically designed with the nutritional needs of the Down syndrome community in mind.

Learn more: ⁠https://downforgreens.co⁠

Promo code: LUCKY — get 50% off your first order.

ENABLE Special Needs Planning helps families create coordinated plans for the future by bringing together the vision, financial, legal, and practical pieces of special needs planning.

Free resource: Who Will Carry What?

Download: ⁠https://ENABLEsnp.com/the-lucky-few⁠

LET'S CHAT

Email ⁠hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com⁠ with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

Don't forget to follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen to The Lucky Few Podcast.

Here's to shifting the narrative for people with Down syndrome.