Let Me Know If You Need An Explaination. Or Not. | Ep. 09

Let Me Know If You Need A Survivor Story | Ep. 13

Alex Owens found a lump in the most normal moment: brushing her teeth, hand under her arm, and then that sharp, hard marble feeling you can’t un-feel. In the span of one appointment, a manual exam became a mammogram, became an ultrasound, and then a doctor walked into a dark room and said the sentence out loud: You have cancer. In this conversation, Amy, Kristen, and Alex get honest about what support actually looked like: friends flying in for a week, deep one-on-one time that strengthened relationships, and the practical truth that ‘let me know if you need anything’ can feel like homework. Alex shares the language shift that helped most: specific offers with a timeframe, and options that don’t require someone in crisis to manage your helpfulness. DoorDash gift cards. Frozen meals. A clear ‘I can do X this week.’ Things You Will Learn: 1. What it’s like to get ‘you have cancer’ in a dark ultrasound room alone. 2. How young motherhood changes the logistics and the guilt math. 3. Why vague offers create emotional labor, and what to say instead. 4. Support that lands: time, presence, and people who don’t make you direct traffic. 5. The ‘you before cancer’ and ‘you after cancer,’ and why they’re not the same person. Tools & Frameworks Covered: 1. Clarity Over Vague Kindness: Replace “let me know” with specific, time-bound offers that don’t force someone to do emotional admin. 2. Sidekick Support: Help that supports the person’s agency (meals, rides, childcare, gift cards) without centering the helper. 3. Permission Slips: You’re allowed to say no. You’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to not perform strength. 4. Support That Reduces Emotional Labor: DoorDash / food gift cards, frozen meals, and “I’m available this afternoon” support. #AskingForHelp #CommunityCare #Caregiving #IllnessRealTalk #EmotionalLabor ✅ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-me-know-if-you-need-a-podcast/id1844882205 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qKPOo6cAINf4M2i7THfnv 📲 FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letmeknowifyouneedapodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmkifyouneedapodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast

Let Me Know If You Need Space | Ep. 12

Most people think donating clothes is automatically helpful. Mia Space is here to complicate that, in the best way. In this episode, Amy Steinhour and Kristen Beck sit down with Mia Space [https://www.instagram.com/_miaspace/], Founder of The Mia Space Project [https://miaspaceproject.com/who-we-are/] (formerly The Fabulous Purge Project), to talk about what support actually looks like when someone is leaving abuse, homelessness, or a situation where starting over is urgent. Mia shares the origin story behind her work: a fashion-school thesis that paired senior students with a women’s shelter, and a childhood memory that never left her. She remembers her mom sweeping her and her sister up in the middle of the night, fleeing in the dead of a Chicago winter, and arriving at a shelter where the donation room offered scraps. Not comfort or dignity. Just leftovers. That’s the gap Mia’s been trying to close ever since: moving support from anonymous drop-offs to a curated, hand-to-hand experience that feels like a boutique. You’ll also hear a raw, honest conversation about why asking for help feels embarrassing even when people would actually show up, how ‘strong woman’ culture can become a trap, and why clear support beats performative kindness every time. Things You Will Learn: 1. Why ‘just donate it to Goodwill’ can miss the point when someone needs dignity, not leftovers. 2. What curated support looks like in real life: asking shelters what they actually need, and building donations around that. 3. How shame, failure narratives, and fear of judgment keep people from asking family and friends for help. 4. Why social media perfection makes asking for help feel riskier than it should, and how honesty creates connection. 5. What Mia is building next: a brick-and-mortar model that blends free shopping access with a sustainable funding approach. Tools & Frameworks Covered: 1. Hand-to-Hand Support Model: donation as direct dignity 2. Curated Needs Matching: ask partner organizations what’s needed first, then collect intentionally. 3. Sidekick Energy: support that restores agency instead of spotlighting the helper. 4. Clarity Over Vague Kindness: support that reduces emotional labor. #AskingForHelp #CommunityCare #Caregiving #IllnessRealTalk #EmotionalLabor ✅ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-me-know-if-you-need-a-podcast/id1844882205 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qKPOo6cAINf4M2i7THfnv 📲 FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letmeknowifyouneedapodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmkifyouneedapodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast

Let Me Know If You Need to Be Heard, Not Happy | Ep. 11

Ever been hit with “look on the bright side” when life was falling apart? Amy and Kristen unpack toxic positivity, from “at least it’s not stage four” moments to why “I’m fine” is emotional camouflage. With help from Brené Brown and Susan David, they show how real empathy beats forced optimism every time. Healing starts with honesty, not hashtags. Tune in and laugh your way to emotional maturity. Timetamps (0:00) Introduction (0:40) What Is Toxic Positivity? (3:54) Expert Insights: Dr. Susan David and Brene Brown (5:14) Personal Experiences of Toxic Positivity (9:54) Timing and Delivery: When Positivity Hurts (13:23) Our Sponsor: GifWellSoon (13:38) Why We Default to Toxic Positivity (16:46) Practical Alternatives to Toxic Positivity (and Robert Redford) (20:10) Final Lessons and Finding Your Sidekick #toxicpositivity #askingforhelp #caregiverburnout #emotionalagility #realconnection #brenebrown #susandavid #healingwithlaughter #giftwellsoon ✅ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-me-know-if-you-need-a-podcast/id1844882205 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qKPOo6cAINf4M2i7THfnv 📲 FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letmeknowifyouneedapodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmkifyouneedapodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast

Let Me Know If You Need a Guidebook for Showing Up Better | Ep. 10

A lot of people want to show up during cancer and still end up making it heavier. In this episode of Let Me Know If You Need A Podcast, Amy Steinhour and Kristen Beck sit down with Keith Hardeman, author of The Shadow of Trepidation and Don't say "Everything happens for a reason", to discuss the unspoken dynamics that make support feel performative, exhausting, or accidentally blameful. Keith shares what it was like to become ‘permanent residents of the cancer community,’ why listening beats fixing, how specific offers actually reduce emotional labor, and what to avoid when fear turns into ‘helpful’ commentary. You’ll leave with clearer language, a Sidekick-not-Savior mindset, and real ways to take something off a cancer family’s plate without putting yourself at the center. Things You Will Learn: 1. How to replace vague kindness with clarity that actually helps 2. What to say when you don’t know what to say (without reaching for platitudes) 3. How to show up after treatment ends, when survivorship emotional labor is still real Tools & Frameworks Covered: 1. Sidekick Support Model – helps you support without slipping into savior energy. 2. Permission Slips – helps set boundaries without guilt or apology. 3. Beyond the Casserole – helps translate care into usable support. Check out Keith’s books: Book 1: https://a.co/d/04R3aOsn Book 2: https://a.co/d/00AmCbSY Keith's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-hardeman-504169289/ #AskingForHelp #CancerAuthor #CommunityCare #Caregiving #IllnessRealTalk ✅ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-me-know-if-you-need-a-podcast/id1844882205 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qKPOo6cAINf4M2i7THfnv 📲 FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letmeknowifyouneedapodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmkifyouneedapodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast

Let Me Know If You Need An Explaination. Or Not. | Ep. 09

Ever feel like you owe everyone an explanation? From skipping dinner to choosing what’s best for your body, Amy and Kristen call BS on the pressure to justify every choice. With humor, honesty, and survivor grit, they unpack why women and caregivers over-explain and how to stop. Learn practical boundary scripts, how to say “no” without guilt, and why protecting your peace is anything but selfish. What You’ll Learn: 1. Why saying “no” is powerful (and enough) 2. Tools and scripts for holding boundaries with humor, not guilt 3. How to spot (and stop!) people-pleasing in its tracks Timestamp Guide: 00:00 – Unfiltered intro: Why do we explain ourselves? 01:39 – Amy’s breast cancer story and real-life mastectomy questions 04:55 – The “Uber moment”: Kristen stands her ground (and survives bear country) 11:38 – Listener stories: family, chemo, and tricky boundaries 17:42 – Research: cultural scripts, motherhood, and people-pleasing 22:30 – Scripts and boundary tools you’ll actually use 25:08 – Final permission slip: no more guilt Tools / Frameworks Mentioned: 1. The Permission Slip: Say “no” without guilt 2. Boundary Buffers: Use a scapegoat (doctor, work, “schedule conflict”) 3. The “No, Thank You” Tactic: Polite. Simple. Done. 4. Scripts You’ll Actually Use: “Thanks for understanding.” “I’ll let you know when I’m ready.” “I don’t have the energy to explain this right now.” 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Closing Insight: “No” is a complete sentence: permission granted to stop explaining. #Boundaries #SelfCareWithHumor #WomenSupportingWomen #Caregiving #Podcast #RealTalk #PermissionSlip ✅ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-me-know-if-you-need-a-podcast/id1844882205 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qKPOo6cAINf4M2i7THfnv 📲 FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letmeknowifyouneedapodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmkifyouneedapodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lmkifyouneedapodcast