Continuing the Conversation

Life After Cancer: The Emotional Reality of Remission and Recurrence feat. Dr. Elizabeth Kacel

When cancer treatment ends, many people expect life to return to normal. But for patients and families, the journey often continues in ways that aren’t always visible. Matti is joined by clinical health psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Kacel to discuss the emotional and psychological challenges that can follow a cancer diagnosis, including uncertainty, anxiety, identity shifts, relationships, and rebuilding a sense of stability. Drawing on years of experience supporting cancer patients, Dr. Kacel offers insight into how people adapt, grow, and continue living meaningful lives after diagnosis. This episode is dedicated in loving memory of Alayna Magnan. About Dr. Elizabeth Kacel: Dr. Elizabeth Kacel is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of PEAR Health Psychology, PLLC, cultivating Purpose, Empowerment, Acceptance, and Resilience among people facing cancer and other medical conditions. Dr. Kacel uses evidence-based psychological treatment approaches to help patients to cope effectively and live meaningfully across all phases of cancer from new diagnosis through survivorship. She has worked with individuals and families with cancer and other medical conditions for more than 15 years. She completed her PhD in clinical health psychology at the University of Florida and a postdoctoral fellowship in psychosocial oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. She has worked in top academic health centers and hospitals, contributed to 20+ peer-reviewed journal articles, and participated in numerous local and national conferences focused on cancer psychology. Dr. Kacel is a native Chicagoan and enjoys living in the city with her husband and two cats. She is an avid traveler, nature lover, yoga practitioner, and amateur photographer.

New Tools, Same Humans: Health, Hollywood, and More Trends w. Cindy

This week, Cindy returns to help Matti tackle a question that seems to be everywhere right now: when something new comes along, why do we immediately assume it’s replacing everything? From AI in healthcare to creator-made movies and Hollywood trends, they explore what changes, what stays the same, and why every new thing doesn’t have to be a revolution. Plus: can someone please help us pronounce "Moldova?"

Patterns, Second Chances, and Our Search for Certainty

This week, three stories from the worlds of government, policy, and technology lead to some core human questions: Why are we so quick to connect dots and create explanations when events seem related? How do we know when it’s worth trying something again—and when it’s time to let go? And who should be responsible for putting guardrails around powerful new technologies? Along the way, we explore pattern recognition, randomness, second chances, AI, and our search for certainty in a complicated world. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:22 - Connecting the Dots 05:00 - Pattern Recognition 06:23 - Why We Hate Randomness 09:12 - Second Chances 16:18- Try Again or Move On? 24:01 - AI Safety 29:53 - The Search for Certainty Referenced in the Episode: Anthropic proposing pause in AI development (WSJ): https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anthropic-urges-global-pause-in-ai-development-flags-self-improvement-risk-99cefb73

Did We Lose Our Filter?

In our “Off the Record” episode, we explored what is happening to us in a world where privacy seems to be non-existent.  This episode asks a different question: How are we adapting to that reality? From wealth flaunting and cosmetic procedures to social media, celebrities, influencers, and the strange pressure of living visibly, it feels like something has shifted culturally. We’ve spent years encouraging authenticity and self-expression—but have we crossed into something else entirely? In this episode, we explore what happens to human behavior when life starts feeling public all the time, why performance seems to be everywhere, and whether what we’re experiencing is simply a reaction to a rapidly changing world. And because there’s always room for dessert, we’ll take a surprisingly fun detour through The Devil Wears Prada 2 to talk about inflation, luxury, and why Miranda Priestly’s worlddoesn’t feel quite as far away as it once did. Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro 02:25 — The Focus on Authenticity 03:43 — Authenticity, or Performance? 06:55 — The Optimization Era 10:11 — Gwyneth’s Arugula Moment 11:14 — The Flaunting Economy 16:28— The K-Shaped Economy 18:06 — Constant Documentation 21:35 — Inflation Through The Devil Wears Prada 26:03 — Adapting to a Changing World Referenced in this episode: The Devil Wears Prada Inflation: https://www.thecut.com/article/how-much-would-the-devil-wears-pradas-fashion-cost-today.html?utm_medium=s1&utm_campaign=nym&utm Follow/Contact the show: Instagram: @itsgonnabefine_pod Email: itsgonnabefinepodcast@gmail.com

Adrien Brody, Acting, and Authenticity

Adrien Brody, Acting, and Authenticity — This week: Adrien Brody isolates himself for a Broadway role in The Fear of 13, we unpack the complicated debate around authenticity and casting in Hollywood, and Matti attempts to understand why the internet keeps inventing increasingly unhinged forms of “maxxing.” Along the way: thoughts on method acting, representation, lived experience, creative process, and why the best conversations usually live somewhere in the gray area. Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro 01:10 — JP Morgan lawsuit update + countersuit 03:28 — Adrien Brody’s Broadway role and method acting 06:41 — My failed acting career (sort of) 10:53 — What acting is actually supposed to be 12:45 — Disability representation and lived experience in casting 17:45 — The return of “maxxing” discourse 19:52 — Yes, “ballmaxxing” is apparently a thing Referenced in this episode: Reuters coverage of the JP Morgan countersuit:https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/jpmorgan-banker-countersues-accuser-says-sexual-assault-lies-ruined-her-life-2026-05-20/ Adrien Brody on The Fear of 13 (Interview Magazine):https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/adrien-brody-fear-of-13-tessa-thompson-broadway Adrien Brody’s routine while preparing for The Fear of 13 (Wall Street Journal):https://www.wsj.com/style/adrien-brody-the-fear-of-13-routine-564eb19a Follow/Contact the show: Instagram: @itsgonnabefine_pod Email: itsgonnabefinepodcast@gmail.com