I Don't Know How You Do It

Rare disease advocate Mackenzie Abramson spent more than 20 years searching for her own diagnosis, facing intense medical gaslighting along the way. She endured 30 surgeries, a mental health crisis, and endless battles to be heard and taken seriously by the medical establishment.

Yet Mackenzie refused to be dismissed. She earned her master's in public health and went on to work on global health initiatives in Rwanda, Egypt, and on the COVID-19 response in the U.S. Turning her pain into purpose, Mackenzie now works at Global Genes, supporting the rare disease community.

In this candid and inspiring conversation, Mackenzie shares her odyssey from medical disbelief to rare disease empowerment. She discusses the trauma of gaslighting, the importance of mental health advocacy, and how she manages to remain hopeful even in the face of immense challenges. Mackenzie's story is a testament to the power of unchosen resilience and the transformative impact one person can have.

Key Takeaways:

• You are the expert on your own health - trust your instincts and speak up for yourself
• Don't wait to build your mental health toolbox, even before you think you need it
• Two truths can coexist - you can feel gratitude and feel like "this sucks" at the same time
• Finding your community is crucial, but you must also be willing to advocate for yourself
• Resilience can be unchosen, but it can also empower you to do things you never imagined

Learn more about Mackenzie:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Linktree

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"This is my go-to podcast for inspiration and to discover new approaches to embrace the challenges in my life." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me reach more people -- just like you -- find strategies and insights to do the things that feel undoable. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

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Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Music credit: Limitless by Bells

How can we use ritual to create a life of joy and meaning when our world is turned upside down? What's a no-bullshit zone, and how can we dress ourselves in psychological teflon?
Tune in to this conversation with Myra Sack, author of 57 Fridays, and find out.
When Myra's daughter Havi was diagnosed with a fatal neurodegenerative disease in 2019, Myra knew nothing would ever be the same. In this deeply moving conversation, Myra shares the sacred family rituals and "shabirthdays" that brought joy and holiness into their devastation.

With candor and wisdom, Myra opens up about creating a "no bullshit zone" to shield her family, building "psychological teflon" to navigate the outside world, and the profound lesson that grieving is a way to keep expressing love. Myra also shares why she founded E-Motion, a nonprofit ensuring community, movement and ritual as rights for the grieving.

Whether you're walking a path of loss or want to meaningfully support someone who is, Myra provides indispensable insights on:

• Inhabiting the "both/and" of grief and joy
• How our loved ones can tell us what they need without words
• The power of yearning over fear in grief
• Integrating loss through small, manageable ritual acts
• Why community is crucial, but so often lacking, for grievers
• How workplaces can become grief-literate to better help employees
• And so much more

Learn more about Myra:
57 Fridays
Instagram
E-Motion

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"This is my go-to podcast for inspiration and to discover new approaches to embrace the challenges in my life." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me reach more people -- just like you -- find strategies and insights to do the things that feel undoable. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. Follow now!

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Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Music credit: Limitless by Bells

Have you ever dreamed of leaving everything behind and setting off to travel the world? When Dr. Marcy Cole's partner suggested they do just that, Marcy didn't hesitate. She packed up her Los Angeles home where she'd lived for nearly 20 years, and together they set off on a nomadic adventure.
What Marcy learned on the road was more than how delicious the pastries in France are. She had five main takeaways, each of which is a valuable lesson that can be applied back at home. Marcy also rediscovered a core piece of her identity during her journey. You don't need to travel the world to be inspired by Marcy's takeaways.
In this episode you'll learn:

• Why leaving your bubble can teach you so much about yourself
• What happens when we go public with our dreams
• Why we need to stay in the ring
• How what happens can work for you not to you
• What to do when we set the intention for grace and ease and things take a different turn
• And so much more...

Dr. Marcy Cole is a holistic psychotherapist, life coach, and wellness educator She founded First Tuesday Global in 2000, with the aim of fostering a sense of community through social connectivity, personal and professional development, and social service.
Learn more about Marcy:
Marcy's Website
Facebook
First Tuesday Global

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"This is my go-to podcast for inspiration and to discover new approaches to embrace the challenges in my life." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me reach more people -- just like you -- find strategies and insights to do the things that feel undoable. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. Follow now!

Sign up for my newsletter and learn more about these remarkable stories at www.jessicafeinstories.com
Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Music credit: Limitless by Bells

Have you ever felt a pang of regret for not saying yes to an opportunity that scared you? Or wondered what hidden potential lies within you that others see, but you can't quite yet?

This week's episode will light a fire under those very questions. Physician and writer doctor Mimi Zieman joins us with a truly extraordinary story - the time she said a resounding "yes" to an invitation that most of us would never have the audacity to accept.

At just 25 years old and one year into medical school, Mimi agreed to become the sole medical professional and only woman on a climbing team attempting a new, never-before-done route up the treacherous east face of Mount Everest. Oh, and they'd be doing it without supplemental oxygen.

In our riveting conversation, Mimi doesn't hold back on all the behind-the-scenes details you'd never imagine - from tap dancing in psychedelic tights on a boulder to leading a Passover Seder at 20,000 feet. You'll hear firsthand how she grappled with imposter syndrome while responsible for the lives of her teammates.

But ultimately, Mimi's journey becomes one of vulnerability, feminism, and an examination of what it truly means to feel vibrantly alive in the face of risk and uncertainty. Her hard-won wisdom and candidly beautiful writing will make you question how you too can start living more authentically and courageously.

Whether you're an adrenaline junkie or can't fathom leaving your living room couch, Mimi's inspirational story and perspective is one you won't want to miss. She'll have you pondering what you're willing to risk in order to discover your deepest self and make your own life itself a work of art.
You'll learn:

• Why you should trust the people who see potential in you that you don't yet see in yourself
• A simple tool to help combat imposter syndrome
• Why "coming of age" is an ongoing process
• Why you should get out of your safe zone
• How curiosity can be the most interesting life guide
• And so much more...

Learn more about Mimi:
website.
Instagram
Threads
Facebook
X

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"This is my go-to podcast for inspiration and to discover new approaches to embrace the challenges in my life." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me reach more people -- just like you -- find strategies and insights to do the things that feel undoable. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. Follow now!

Sign up for my newsletter and learn more about these remarkable stories at www.jessicafeinstories.com
Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Music credit: Limitless by Bells

Have you followed the conventional path -- school, marriage, kids, job (maybe not in that order) and found that you life doesn't really align with your dreams? Have you been told that following the conventional path is the only way to find fulfillment, only to be left feeling unsatisfied? Maybe you look at other people and wonder how they're able to throw expectations to the wind and set off on grand adventures.

My special guest is Tanya Hackney

Tanya went from living a life built around societal expectations to taking the path less traveled. Tanya, with her husband and five young children, decided to break free from the constraints of suburbia. They traded their conventional life in the city for an adventure at sea, living aboard a boat for a decade. Tanya's expertise as a former elementary school educator came in handy as she successfully homeschooled her five children amidst the rhythm of tides and sails. Returning to 'normal life' a decade later, she has encapsulated her unique journey in her book "Leaving the Safe Harbor."

We baby stepped our way out of suburbia and into a little house in Florida and onto a little boat that we could practice on. And my husband baby stepped out of a brick and mortar career into working from home, which eventually led to him becoming a digital nomad. I had quit teaching so that I could stay home with the kids, but my natural next baby step was to homeschool. - Tanya Hackney

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What it means to baby step into your dreams
• How to coach yourself through audacious goals
• Why you need to find alone time, and how to do it
• Why you shouldn't postpone your dreams
• How to collect verbs instead of nouns

Learn more about Tanya:
Blog
Book
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"This is my go-to podcast for inspiration and to discover new approaches to embrace the challenges in my life." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me reach more people -- just like you -- find strategies and insights to do the things that feel undoable. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. Follow now!

Sign up for my newsletter and learn more about these remarkable stories at www.jessicafeinstories.com
Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Music credit: Limitless by Bells