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Always Looking Up - Hillary Wool On Being An Unrare Flower In A World Not Designed To See Our Beauty
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Hillary Wool On Being An Unrare Flower In A World Not Designed To See Our Beauty

Always Looking Up

11/25/25

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In this week’s episode I sat down with Hillary Wool. Hillary is a disabled business strategist, model, and advocate reshaping how we think about ambition, style, and wellness for chronically ill and disabled women. As a partner at Boston Consulting Group, she led global research on the disabled workforce experience, which was covered in outlets including The New York Times and Forbes. She has also modeled in national campaigns with Target and Marshalls. Online, she shares her disability journey living with ankylosing spondylitis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, including intentional style and adaptive fitness. We discuss being a disabled woman at the intersection of style and advocacy, good girl grief, navigating between what’s right with our bodies and what’s right for our careers and much, much more.

All proceeds from purchasing this episode on my Patreon will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.

Join The Patreon: ⁠HERE⁠

Follow Hillary: Instagram: @hilla_rose TikTok: @hilla_rose

Follow Me: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jill_ilana⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@alwayslookingup.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jillian_ilana⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jillianilana.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwayslookingup227@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read With Me:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Goodreads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The StoryGraph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

All episodes are edited and produced by Ben Curwin.

Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:

Feeding America: ⁠⁠https://www.feedingamerica.org⁠⁠

World Central Kitchen: ⁠⁠https://wck.org⁠⁠

No Kid Hungry: ⁠⁠https://www.nokidhungry.org⁠⁠

List Of NYC Food Pantries: ⁠⁠https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page⁠⁠

Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chnge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠):

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chirla_org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Immigrant Defenders Law Center (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immdef_lawcenter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.immdef.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ic4ij⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this week’s episode of Always Looking Up I sat down with Lindi Marcusen. Lindi is a Paralympic sprinter and long jumper whose journey began after surviving a catastrophic accident in 2017 that resulted in the loss of her right leg and a traumatic brain injury. A former high-level gymnast, Lindi turned to adaptive sports during her recovery, finding purpose and power through competition. Now a 5x national champion and 100 meter American record holder, she represented the USA in the 2024 Paris Paralympics, proving that resilience and determination can redefine what’s possible. We discuss her Paralympic journey that started with learning to walk again, traveling while disabled, the structural and societal barriers that are put in place, and how she is working to dismantle them and much, much more.

All proceeds from purchasing this episode on my Patreon will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.

Join The Patreon: HERE

Follow Lindi: Instagram: @lindi.marcusen TikTok: @lindimarcusen

Learn More About Ottobock and The "Invisible Class" Campaign

Follow Me: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jill_ilana⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@alwayslookingup.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jillian_ilana⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jillianilana.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwayslookingup227@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read With Me:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Goodreads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The StoryGraph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

All episodes are edited and produced by Ben Curwin.

Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:

Feeding America: ⁠https://www.feedingamerica.org⁠

World Central Kitchen: ⁠https://wck.org⁠

No Kid Hungry: ⁠https://www.nokidhungry.org⁠

List Of NYC Food Pantries: ⁠https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page⁠

Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chnge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠):

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chirla_org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Immigrant Defenders Law Center (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immdef_lawcenter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.immdef.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ic4ij⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this week's episode it is just me and the microphone. With the chapter that was the year 2025 coming to an end, and 2026 just around the corner, I wanted to take a moment to unpack and reflect. I went into this year with plans and expectations that quickly and quite often had to be altered, in both good ways and bad. And those experiences have made an impact on my body, physically, mentally, emotionally, and have both enabled and empowered me to redefine what it means, for me, to be a little person, a person with dwarfism, in an average-height world.

All proceeds from purchasing this episode will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.

Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com

Follow Me: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@jill_ilana⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠@alwayslookingup.podcast⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠@jillian_ilana⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jillianilana.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠alwayslookingup227@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠

Read With Me:

⁠⁠⁠Goodreads⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠The StoryGraph⁠⁠⁠

Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:

Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org

World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org

No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org

List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page

Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from ⁠⁠⁠@chnge⁠⁠⁠):

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (⁠⁠⁠@chirla_org⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/⁠⁠⁠

Immigrant Defenders Law Center (⁠⁠⁠@immdef_lawcenter⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.immdef.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (⁠⁠⁠@ic4ij⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros⁠⁠⁠

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/⁠⁠⁠

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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