Live Your Life, Not Your Diagnosis™

"Whether it's the stress of a physical illness or the stress of emotional stuff or the stress of moving, it's all going in the same bucket from our body's perspective. I was pouring more and more in there when what I needed was to get a bigger bucket and take some stuff out." - Becca Benning Becca Benning has multiple chronic conditions, but it was her multiple sclerosis diagnosis that made her di...

”Your words can either heal or hurt. Don't you ever be the prick.” Blaze Hunter is an author, award winning speaker, brand specialist, and maybe most importantly, a communications expert. In this episode, Blaise discusses the connection between emotions and the body, and how it plays a role in autoimmune disease. Blaise was diagnosed in her 20’s with EGPA, a rare autoimmune disease that affects th...

"Learning how to turn off your mind is as important as learning how to work on it." - Andrea Hanson This week I'm doing a little behind the scenes look at what I'm working on right now. My new online course, The 8 Week Mindset Challenge is starting soon, and this week I'm sharing what the challenge is all about - including negative thinking and the surprising ways it impacts us. I'm telling a litt...

"It almost became a puzzle. How can we solve this? What's the next thing?" - Amanda Dahl When Amanda Dahl and her husband started experiencing strange and debilitating symptoms, they didn’t think they were in for an 18-year journey of mystery and uncertainty. Little did they know that their son's diagnosis of autism and Lyme disease would be the catalyst to discovering the root cause of their stru...

Amy Reinecke  discovered she had Hashimoto’s after having her third child. She is now helping women love their body through healing their mindset. In this week’s podcast, Amy shares her very personal story with growing up in diet culture and developing an eating disorder. And her journey back to loving her body right now, as it is. Amy’s story is so relatable to those of us who grew up dietin...

“I just trust that even if things don't work out, things are still working out.” -Courtney Bussard Courtney Bussard is on her own journey to limitless. From solo travel, to hula hoop performances (and a little fire dancing) - Courtney is determined to not let her chronic illness hold her back. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2019, her support system lived halfway across the country. Courtney...

"How we think we're going to feel in the future when we're taking that next step is rarely how we actually feel once we get there." - Andrea Hanson Join me as I talk about a favorite piece of advice that was given to me at a time when I was ready to give up and walk away in the middle of a challenge. Drawing from my experience in a 150 mile bike race, I reveal the simple yet transformative lesson...

“Life isn't going to look like I wanted it to. I'm not able to have the child that I wanted, but who knows what's next? And it's clear I can't go on like I am. Maybe it's time to find new possibilities.” - Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith Lyons is an embodiment teacher and mindset coach who helps fellow childless not by choice women integrate grief, amplify agency and embody possibility. During h...

“Cancer has brought me so many blessings in terms of lessons and rediscovering who I am and what I wanted in life.” - Mayda Poc Mayda Poc is an international life and career coach for executives in fast paced industries, with a background of over 16 years in the investment banking industry. She’s received multiple certifications and accreditations and speaks four languages. Mayda left investment b...

“The intersection of racism and ableism is a high collision zone”- Ingrid Palmer Ingrid Palmer is an award-winning speaker, a diversity and inclusion consultant, and the founder and CEO of Focus On Ability - a campaign designed to encourage individuals to triumph over adversity, combat discrimination, and promote universal belonging.  From a young age, Ingrid had to navigate a world that neve...

Based on my #1 blog that's been read 1,000's of times, I'm talking about what I wish I knew when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It's been a while since I wrote this, and it's still 100% true. In this episode I talk about What I pretended to believe, but deep down definitely didn't. Helpful details on how to advocate for yourself when you're getting MRI's and other tests. When we should t...

“We want kids to take the time out. As adults, we need a timeout, too.” - Adam Webber Adam Weber is an accomplished speaker, author, and entrepreneur with a personal connection to the world of chronic illness. Living with primary progressive multiple sclerosis for over a decade, Adam has discovered the healing power of meditation in managing stress and maintaining a positive outlook. Drawing on hi...

" We all have stories. Our stories are what make us unique. They're what sets us apart. " - Shaun Bernstein Shaun Bernstein has navigated life with hemophilia since birth. Despite the challenges that come with living with a chronic illness, Shaun has flourished thanks to the support of his parents and their emphasis on normalizing his condition while he grew up. His journey has led him to become a...

You only have this one life. You only have this one body. Part of taking care of that body is making sure your mind is right. - Keshia Rice Diagnosed with kidney disease in high school, Keshia has faced her fair share of challenges and has learned the value of setting boundaries and choosing the right people to have in her life. As a preacher's kid, she can relate to the delicate balance between f...

"Our honest thoughts hold the key to our strongest mindset." - Andrea Hanson I believe we judge ourselves entirely too much. This week I'm sharing my four new rules of mindset, designed to help improve self-compassion and confidence. I believe that having a strong mindset means embracing every aspect of our mindset, not just the positive parts. By loving ourselves more and judging our thoughts les...

Helen Mallaburn is a hashimoto’s recovery specialist and nutritional therapist. She lived on the adrenaline of a high stress job, doing lots of sports, working out, and having a very active social life - until her health made her slow down when she developed autoimmune disorders including hashimoto's. She had to reframe her thinking around her health and how to heal herself. She shares her story a...

"My goal is not to look like the airbrushed Photoshopped models. I just want to be healthy. I want to have energy to play with my kids. "- Sarah Bowser Sarah Bowser, from That Weird, Nerdy Mom, has transformed her struggle with anxiety and hashimoto's, an autoimmune diagnosis, into a mission to help others find self-love and acceptance. Embracing her weird, nerdy side, Sarah has learned to celebra...

"It almost became a puzzle. How can we solve this? What's the next thing?" - Amanda Dahl When Amanda Dahl and her husband started experiencing strange and debilitating symptoms, they didn’t think they were in for an 18-year journey of mystery and uncertainty. Little did they know that their son's diagnosis of autism and Lyme disease would be the catalyst to discovering the root cause of their stru...

I’m sharing my journey with boundaries - the good, the bad and the ugly. The good news is, I learned a lot from being a terrible boundary maker and am bringing those lessons to the podcast today.  Hear my personal train wrecks with boundaries and the five invaluable lessons I’ve learned along the way to make great boundaries that help me with my own self growth.  My number one goal is to...

"As the Deaf Queen Boss, my goal is to teach others how to be inclusive and change how we approach mental health among people with disabilities and within the deaf community." - Kellina Powell Kellina Powell is an entrepreneur and advocate who specializes in working with  young professionals with disabilities on managing depression, anxiety, and improving self-esteem. In her book, Everyday I...

“Yes, some days I'm in bed - others I am at the piano or in a gondola in Venice. Life is hard. Life is GOOD.” - Susie Schwartz Susie Schwartz is a Canadian writer, public speaker and singer-songwriter. In her latest book, Help the Doctor Help You: 31 Secrets and Tips to get the BEST from your appointments (available now), Susie compiles her wisdom from an almost lifetime of being the patient into...

“When I decided to take the treatment, I made another decision, which was, now it's going to be my health first. It's going to be my work second. This had never occurred to me before. That was a massive shift.” - Audrey Zannese Audrey Zannese is the Founder of Step into Sophrology in which she helps anyone, especially women living with chronic pain to take back control of their body, health, and w...

"I have to live with these things, but I don't have to suffer from them." -Lauren Rose Lauren Rose is an author, coach, and the host of the “It Hurts to Mom” podcast. In this week’s episode she’s speaking about her challenges with pretty severe chronic pain - and how through all of that, she found a loving partner and is raising a kind and compassionate daughter. Lauren is living with several dege...

What’s the difference between mindset, mindfulness, and positive thinking? They all work - and feel great. But there’s a big difference and only one can be managed for life long benefits.  Master certified life and mindset coach Andrea W. Hanson is getting clear on what mindset really is, the difference between mindset and positive thinking, and the myths about each.  In this episode, An...

"It's really important with all of the work that I do to be able to offer people a space to be seen and to treat themselves as respected, valued humans. That that their story is not only worthy, but also worth being heard and worth being seen." -Anna HeardinLondon Anna HeardinLondon at her core is an advocate for social justice. She took her love of circus performing and her talent for opening bus...