Ep. 157 - From the Industry to Home Life: Raising a Child with Autism with Chastity

In this episode of Autism for Badass Moms, host Rashidah sits down with entrepreneur, mentor, and autism mom Chastity Hankins for an honest conversation about what happens when the demands of the entertainment and beauty industries collide with the realities of raising a child with autism. Chastity shares her journey from noticing early signs in her son Kobe, through the diagnosis process, and into building her business Bombshell Beautii — all while managing therapy schedules, industry travel, and her own mental health. Chastity shares how she turned survival mode into a blueprint, how pattern recognition keeps her business running, and why she credits her son with choosing her as his mother. In this episode, we discuss: 0:00 - Meet Chastity 1:23 - Noticing the Signs 2:29 - Gaslit 3:01 - Early Intervention 4:35 - Getting the Diagnosis 5:24 - Processing the Diagnosis 6:41 - Finding Purpose in the Journey 8:27 - Family Reaction 10:47 - Family Dynamics 12:46 - Sibling Bond 14:37 - Balancing Business and Motherhood 17:39 - Industry Demands 21:00 - Time Management 22:50 - Torn Between Kids and Career 24:10 - Divine Purpose 27:19 - Getting Your Pink Back 29:08 - The Breaking Point 30:23 - Building Bombshell Beautii 32:55 - Elopement, Safety and Free Resources 34:54 - Finding Community 38:26 - Self-Care 40:55 - Contact Chastity 43:48 - Advice for Moms 48:13 - What Makes Chastity Badass ABOUT OUR GUEST Chastity Hankins is a self-taught hairstylist, entrepreneur, and autism advocate based in Virginia Beach, VA. She is the founder of Bombshell Beautii, offering hair extensions, wigs, and styling services. Her work has been featured on reality television productions, and she is currently expanding into brick-and-mortar beauty supply stores along the East and West Coasts. CONNECT with CHASTITY Website: www.bombshellbeautii.com Instagram: Instagram.com/bombshellbeautii (business) | Instagram.com/blackbarbiebombshell Facebook: Chastity Hankins / Bombshell Beautii Know a mom who's juggling it all? A fellow autism parent? Someone building a business while raising kids? Send this their way — one conversation can change a trajectory. New episodes every Tuesday. If this episode resonated with you: -Follow the Autism for Badass Moms Podcast -Leave a review to help other autism moms find this community -Share this episode with a parent who may feel unseen or misunderstood Website: www.autismforbadassmoms.com Follow Us: Instagram: www.instagram.com/theabmpodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/theabmpodcast