158: Michelle Slaney-Trovato on Building Community Through Showing Up

What if the secret to building an unshakeable community starts with knocking on your neighbor’s door with brownies?

Michelle Slaney-Trovato is a disabled persons mom on a mission. She’s buying her son a house where he can live with friends and the support he needs. It’s an unconventional plan in one of Canada’s most expensive cities. But along the way, she discovered something powerful.

Showing up matters more than any elaborate strategy.

In Episode 158 of Gratitude Geek, Michelle shares why “Nobody Does It” is your biggest business opportunity. She talks about how her 13-year-old became a real estate investor. And she reveals the neighborhood welcome strategy that creates instant safety nets.

If you’re a parent navigating disabilities, an entrepreneur building something unconventional, or a solopreneur who wants authentic relationships, this conversation will shift how you show up.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation:

The House That Love Is Building

Michelle’s oldest son has significant disabilities. He’s 18 going on 19. In Canada, that means he’s about to age out of the children’s system and into the adult system.

The adult system has a lot less support. A lot less services. A lot less everything except the work parents have to do.

Her son wants to live independently with friends. That’s not something he can do alone. He’ll always need support. So Michelle and her husband decided to buy him a house.

Not a group home. Not an institutional setting. An actual house where he can live with roommates and a caregiver.

Here’s the thing. Michelle lives in one of the most expensive cities in Canada. When she thinks about the numbers, she gets heart palpitations. But she’s still in it because she doesn’t need the whole price. She just needs enough for a down payment on a house with a basement suite. The suite rental covers the mortgage.

That’s thinking outside the box.

When You Share Your Vision, People Show Up

Michelle thought real estate investors would look at her like she had ten heads.

That’s not what happened.

Every single person she talked to said some version of “I don’t know anything about disabilities, but I’ll help you figure this out.”

She found a realtor who’s a disabled persons mom. The realtor gets it. She knows exactly what accommodations the house needs.

She found a mortgage broker who’s a disabled persons mom. The broker promised to pull every string to get them financing.

She’s building a team of people who believe in her vision. Not because they understand disabled people. Because they see a mom fighting for her kid.

That’s the power of sharing your story. When you’re honest about what you’re trying to build, people want to help.

The 13-Year-Old Real Estate Investor

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Michelle’s youngest son is a skilled eavesdropper. While she was learning about real estate investing, he was listening. At 11 years old, he sat in on a meeting with an investor. At the end, the guy asked if anyone had questions.

Michelle’s son raised his hand. “Can I get in on that too?”

The investor looked at him. Looked at Michelle. Looked back at him.

“Well, you’re not old enough to do it yourself. But you could combine your money with your parents.”

So at 11, Michelle’s youngest became a real estate investor. He’s had money in two successful deals. He’s got money in two passive deals right now. He helped put together the down payment for the rental property they bought.

At 13, he’s collecting rent.

He’s decided he wants to be the richest person he knows by age 20. Michelle’s pretty sure he already is. Not many 13-year-olds have money invested or collect rent checks.

The lesson here? When you stop being scared and start exploring creative solutions, your kids watch. They learn. They model what you do.

Nobody Does It

Michelle said something in our conversation that stopped me cold.

“Nobody does it.”

She was talking about sending thank-you cards. Welcoming neighbors. Following up. Making people feel seen.

Nobody does it. So when you do it, you stand out.

Here’s an example. Michelle sends cards to her son’s teachers every year. It’s a picture of him with information about what they need to know. Simple stuff written from his perspective. “Hi, my name is… here are some things you should know about me.”

Oh, and there are brownies.

Every single teacher mentions it. They keep the cards on their desks. They pin them to walls. They put them under plastic covers so they stay safe.

One doctor’s office told Michelle’s husband that if she sends a card with her son’s picture, the doctor won’t charge for letters and notes.

That’s the power of doing what nobody else does.

The Neighborhood Welcome Strategy

When Michelle’s son moves into his house, she’s already planning the neighbor strategy.

She’ll send cards to every house on the block. The card will have pictures of the three roommates. Their names. A little information about who they are.

“Hi, we live next door. This is who we are. My son has two volumes. Loud and asleep. Sorry about that. If you need to reach us, here’s how.”

Then they’ll bake something together and bring it door to door.

Why? Because people seeing a group of disabled adults moving in next door can feel uneasy. They don’t know how to communicate. They don’t know what to expect. That uneasiness makes people pull away.

But if Michelle bridges that gap first, something shifts. The neighbors have her phone number. They know who lives there. If something goes wrong, they’ll call her.

That’s not just good manners. That’s creating a safety net for her son.

And honestly? This works for anyone. Solar panel installers could do this. Moving companies could do this. Anyone starting something new in a neighborhood could do this.

But nobody does.

The Gift of Showing Up

I’ve known Michelle for years. One thing she’s always talked about is living the legacy she wants her children to have. Not just leaving them something. Living it.

She’s doing that now in ways she never imagined.

Her youngest is learning about money, investing, and creative problem-solving. Her oldest is getting the chance to live the life he wants with support. And Michelle is building a community around both of them.

That’s what showing up looks like. It’s not complicated. It’s brownies and cards and phone calls and genuine connection.

It’s doing the thing nobody else does because it matters.

Connect with Michelle Slaney-Trovato

Want to learn more about living your legacy and building community?

Website: https://livingyourlegacy.ca/
Caregivers Summit: https://livingyourlegacy.ca/caregivers-summit-series
Living Your Legacy Podcast: https://living-your-legacy.simplecast.com/

Michelle hosts a podcast for parents, caregivers, and anyone building a legacy that matters. She talks to everyday people doing extraordinary things and the professionals who support them.

The service Michelle and I both use for cards and gifts: https://sendoutcards.com/147356

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Want more on building authentic connections? Michelle’s lesson on showing up is part of a bigger conversation about relationships that actually matter.

Stay Groovy!

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