We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LaTonya Winfrey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, LaTonya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

Our nonprofit, Happy: Joseph’s Journey, is a community of Autism Advocates that aim to educate, empower, enrich and celebrate individuals with Autism, their families, and communities. As part of this journey with my son, Joseph, I realize that many families are sometimes looking for their “village”. They want to know that there are others out there that can empathize with their experiences, challenges, celebrations, whether large or small. My book, Happy: Joseph’s Journey – A Story of Joy, Advocacy, and Unconditional Love, tells our story from the beginning, when I noticed small signs, to diagnosis, to present day as he transitions out of high school to adulthood. Many times, our village may have seen the end results of decisions that were made. The book gives insight as to all the circumstances and thought processes that surrounded our major moves in life. The book concludes with advice for any other families that are on a similar journey.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am LaTonya Winfrey, founder of Happy: Joseph’s Journey and author of Happy: Joseph’s Journey – A Story of Joy, Advocacy, and Unconditional Love. My work was born from my experience as a mother and advocate, and it has grown into a platform centered on joy, faith, resilience, and unconditional love. Through the book, I share our story in hopes of encouraging, uplifting, and connecting with others.
I didn’t enter this work in a traditional way – it grew out of our real-life journey. What began as a personal story became something much bigger when I realized our experience could help other families feel seen, supported, and understood. I wanted to create something that not only honored Joseph’s journey, but also offered hope and representation to others navigating their own paths.
At the heart of all we do is storytelling with purpose. Our work encourages families, sparks understanding, and highlights the power of advocacy and love. What sets us apart is authenticity – everything shared comes from a real place, and that honesty is what people connect with most.
I’m proud that we can turn our family’s journey into something that can serve others. More than anything, we want people to know that Happy: Joseph’s Journey reminds others that joy can exist alongside challenge, that advocacy matters, and that every story has the power to make an impact.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

During 2020, while the world was quiet, we decided to trademark our brand name. If anyone has attempted this feat before, you know that it is a daunting, time-consuming task. We took advantage of free legal advice offered regarding the process, watched tutorials, monitored the timelines and deadlines for paperwork. Even though it was a difficult time for the entire world, we used the still moments to attain a major goal for our nonprofit.
In reference to the book, the venue for the book signing was secured, invitations sent forth and then a major snow storm affected the event and it had to be rescheduled. Instead of being down and out about it, I used the opportunity to regroup and make sure all the bases were covered. I moved quickly to secure the venue again and the event was a total success.
What does the quote say, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That is exactly how we handled it.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The mission driving our current journey is to shift to an experience-based focus. After our personal experiences with college programs for students with Autism, we found a challenge. One college offered 4-year degree seeking programs for students with Autism, which was super overwhelming. Another college offered a certificate program which he tested too high. Where is the middle ground? Is there any middle ground? To answer that question, I reference the line from a familiar movie, “If you build it, they will come.”
If Joseph and his peers want to have experiences that are not readily accessible for them, we will create it. We will build it. Our current mission is to build opportunities for students that are transitioning out of high school into adulthood.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.josephshappy.com
• Instagram: @josephsjourney
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josephsjourney1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/happy-josephs-journey/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@happyjosephsjourney

Image Credits

LaTonya Winfrey
Kiana Young
Jonathan Snorten