E36—InvisiYouth Chat Sessions with sisters and hearing loss advocates, Abigail Heringer (from Season 25 of The Bachelor, and Season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise) and her older sister, and commercial insurance accounts manager, Rachel

Sister, Sister! We have a majorly special episode because the super fun Heringer sisters (Rachel and Abigail) are in the house for their first ever joint interview! Many will remember Abigail from the popular TV show The Bachelor for Season 25/Matt James (and upcoming Season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise) and she was also the first deaf/cochlear implants contestant on the franchise’s almost two decades on TV! Talk about bringing some much needed representation! And her biggest cheerleader, older sister Rachel, who also has cochlear implants, is an equally talented young woman crushing it in her work with commercial insurance in the Pacific Northwest. This dynamic duo brings the fun and upbeat energy for the entire episode, and we chat not only about Abigail’s Bachelor experience, but also about sibling dynamics (since there are actually four Heringer siblings) and they drop advice and encouragement that we know all of you with siblings will immediately resonate with. In this episode, Dominique, Rachel and Abigail give out their “Illest Superlatives” to each other, like Rachel planning what group date activity Abigail would’ve won the group date rose on, and Abigail knowing which reality show Rachel would do well on, and the sisters sharing their most proud sister moments. Abigail shares some great advice she got from Rachel that she thought of during her time on The Bachelor and what compelled her to share about her hearing loss and Rachel’s powerful older sibling influence on night one. The Heringer sisters give great pieces of advice they’ve learned from not only their dynamic as sisters with the same invisible disability, but also how they nurture their relationships with their two younger brothers, and it’s some great tips for all of us with an illness/disability trying to connect with our siblings without the same conditions. Spoiler: the three ladies all agree that a group chat with siblings is a perfect way to strengthen your bond to share your needs while also having fun with your siblings when you send good memes and videos. And we get two doses of STORY-TIME with our intermission segment because Rachel shares her experience watching Abigail graduate from university and feeling all the big sister feels, and Abigail shares a funny story from her elementary school days that involves a lost cochlear implant and one hysterical misunderstanding with a panicked classmate! Part Two of the podcast picks up the pace as the Heringer sisters share some of their life hacks, like all their must-haves for others with CIs, what their de-stressors are like some certain Netflix genres, good snacks, and in Rachel’s case, quality time with her adorable corgi Louie! And Rachel and Abigail give their different perspectives on how to feel more confident when your health or disability can sometimes make you feel lost in group settings. Just like two siblings are not alike, we have Abigail and Rachel give their different pieces of advice about working in careers NOT connected with chronic illness/disability and how to adapt and speak up for what you need. Plus, the inside scoop on how Abigail’s appearance on The Bachelor was how Rachel’s colleagues learned about her own hearing loss! Abigail also talks about how to handle the pressures of outside opinions on living life and not conforming to the stereotype of a ‘disabled person’ and while we all might not have 500k followers, Abigail gives so great guidance you can use! And we end the episode with our ‘One More Piece of Advice” with both Rachel and Abigail telling us one piece of advice that really resonated with them as young women with invisible disabilities. We’re officially welcoming the Heringer sisters into the InvisiYouth family, and we know you’ll adopt them too after checking out t Wanna support our nonprofit? Watch on YouTube Shop Instagram Twitter Facebook Donate