516: From Caregiver to CEO: How Camille Joy Turned Her Son’s Diagnosis Into a Movement

In this episode, I sat down with Camille Joy, founder of the Moments of Joy Podcast and author of Moments of Joy: 90 Days of Encouragement, published by Penguin Random House. Camille is a trafficking survivor who escaped an abusive situation at 21, became a high school dropout turned executive chef, and fought her way into a six-figure salary by going directly to the CEO.

When her youngest son Mason was diagnosed with autism, everything shifted again, and a raw, tear-filled video she recorded in her car after a difficult doctor visit went viral with over six million views in 2022. Today Camille runs two businesses: Moments of Joy, her for-profit media brand built on brand deals, speaking, and her book, and Awesomely Different, her nonprofit that provides swimming lesson grants for children with autism.

She also shares how she and her filmmaker husband manage it all without a village, and what it really took to land Holly Robinson Peete as a podcast guest after five attempts over several years. Main Takeaways Your test is your testimony: Camille's openness about trafficking, autism, and grief is what built her audience and her business.

Tackle the shame first: Before you can turn your story into impact, you have to get comfortable sharing what you have been through. Serve before you ask: Camille landed Holly Robinson Peete as a guest by consistently showing up in her community, buying her book, attending her events, and reaching out five times before getting a yes.

Caregiving and entrepreneurship can coexist: Camille and her husband run two businesses while raising Mason by communicating constantly, sharing schedules, and giving each other permission to pursue their goals. Highlights Include 00:46 - Camille shares what life looked like before the Moments of Joy Podcast existed 01:45 - Mason's birth story and three heart surgeries in 18 months 02:42 - Receiving Mason's autism diagnosis and how it changed everything 04:40 - Camille reveals she is a trafficking survivor and how she escaped at 21 06:06 - How a stranger saying her name out loud was the sign she needed to go to culinary school 09:14 - Fighting for the executive chef title at ConAir Corporation by CC'ing the CEO 11:13 - Going to the CEO directly to demand her six-figure salary and getting it on the spot 23:22 - The viral reel that changed everything: 6 to 7 million views after a tearful moment in the car 27:06 - Launching Awesomely Different, her nonprofit that teaches children with autism to swim 31:52 - Signing with Penguin Random House and the reality of first-round edits 38:45 - How Camille and her husband manage two businesses and Mason's care without a traditional village 46:01 - Why tackling shame is the first step to turning your test into a testimony 52:03 - The strategy behind landing Holly Robinson Peete and why she reached out five times 56:17 - Lightning round: resources, role models, daily non-negotiables, and parting advice Links Mentioned in This Episode Podcorn (early podcast sponsorship platform): Moments of Joy Podcast: Watch & Listen Side Hustle Pro Podcast on Spotify: Side Hustle Pro Podcast on Apple Podcasts: Social Media Instagram: @momentsofjoypodcast TikTok: @momentsofjoypodcast Hosted on Acast.

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