Who We Become - Life Beyond Change

Three Generations of Caregiving

In this episode of Who We Become — Life Beyond Change, Amanda sits down with her mom, Aileen Smalling, to explore caregiving across generations, identity, faith, resilience, and what it means when the strong one becomes the one who needs care. Together, they talk about watching a mother fight cancer at six years old, stepping into the role of caregiver decades later for her own daughter during the pandemic, and then facing a diagnosis herself. They explore the quiet emotional labor of caregiving, the difficulty of receiving help, and how strength evolves when life asks you to surrender instead of push through. This conversation is for anyone who has been the steady one for a long time — the caregiver, the organizer, the strong one — and is learning how to allow others to show up for them too.

When “Healthy” Doesn’t Protect You: Samantha Harris on Breast Cancer, Self-Advocacy, and Reclaiming Your Power

In this episode of Who We Become — Life Beyond Change, Amanda Lentz sits down with Samantha Harris to explore identity, survivorship, self-advocacy, and rebuilding after a life-changing breast cancer diagnosis. Together, they talk about the emotional shock of being diagnosed despite multiple “clear” screenings, the overwhelming process of navigating treatment decisions as a young mother, and the deeper healing journey that followed. Samantha shares how cancer transformed not only her health, but her understanding of wellness, advocacy, and what it means to truly care for yourself from the inside out. This conversation is for anyone navigating uncertainty, advocating for answers, healing after illness, or learning how to trust themselves again after life changes unexpectedly.

After Survival: Who You Become When Life Doesn’t Go Back to Normal

Together, Amanda Lentz and Casey Kang talk about the shock of an unexpected leukemia diagnosis, the physical and emotional toll of treatment and relapse, and how survivorship can feel just as isolating as the illness itself. Casey shares what it really looks like to move beyond survival—and how she transformed her pain into purpose through her work with The Happier Hustle. This conversation is for anyone who is rebuilding after a life-altering experience, feeling lost after “getting through it,” or searching for a way to feel like themselves again.

Becoming Through the Storm: Grief, Cancer, and the Courage to Start Over

Amanda sits down with Rhonda Payne to explore grief, resilience, caregiving, identity, and what it means to rebuild a life when everything changes. Together, they talk about walking through a mother’s cancer journey, facing a diagnosis of her own, and how Rhonda transformed unimaginable loss into purpose — ultimately stepping away from corporate life to build something entirely her own. This conversation is for anyone who is grieving, rebuilding, navigating uncertainty, or quietly asking themselves: what now?

Turning Pain into Purpose: Liz Vasquez

In this episode of Who We Become, Amanda Lentz sits down with Liz Vasquez to explore what it means to keep living — and keep advocating — in the wake of profound loss. Together they talk about how grief can quietly become a calling, why the world doesn't stop for a cancer diagnosis, and what it looks like to turn a deeply painful chapter into a life's mission.