In Episode 11, From Millennial Caregiver to National Advocate – Jessica C. Guthrie’s Story of Caregiving, Jessica, a caregiver, educator, strategist, advocate, and founder of Jessica C. Guthrie Caregiving Consultancy, has been working to change how we understand and support family caregivers. Her work grew from a deeply personal realization that young caregivers need to see themselves in the conversation, and caregiving needs to be recognized as part of the workplace conversation too.

In this powerful conversation, Jessica and Jackee talk about:

• Jessica becoming a caregiver at 26 and navigating long-distance caregiving
• How caregiving can reshape your identity without becoming your entire identity
• The isolation that comes when friends and peers cannot understand your reality
• The wake-up call that forced Jessica to prioritize her own mental and physical health
• The power of community, storytelling, and shared experiences
• Why family caregivers need greater support, training, compensation, and workplace protections

One of the most powerful moments comes when Jessica reflects on finally embracing the word “caregiver.”

Her message to younger caregivers is simple and deeply human…slow down and be present.

Jessica reminds caregivers that even in the hardest seasons, there are moments of joy, laughter, connection, and memories worth holding onto.

Caregiving is rarely just one emotion.

It can be love, gratitude, frustration, sadness, guilt and resentment, sometimes all within the same day.

In Episode 10, Terrie, who shares the responsibilities of being a caregiver with her brother for their mother, talks about the balance between caregiving and maintaining a demanding corporate career. Her mother's dementia journey has unfolded over more than a decade, gradually changing the relationship they once knew.

Terrie talks honestly about the emotions caregivers don't always feel comfortable admitting. The frustration of managing another person's life. The sadness of losing pieces of the relationship you once had. The exhaustion of juggling caregiving with work. And the resentment that isn't necessarily directed at the person you're caring for, but at the time, freedom and energy the role can consume.

We also talk about the working caregiver experience, including deciding what to share at work, finding trusted colleagues, managing unexpected caregiving emergencies and building a support system.

Most importantly, Terrie shares a message every caregiver needs to hear…give yourself grace over guilt.

What does it mean to sustain caregiving over years, while still showing up for your family, without losing yourself in the process?

Episode 8, The Slow Burn - How Long-Term Caregiving Lives in Your Body, with guest Jenna Eldstrom of Deeply Rooted Health Coaching, explores the cumulative impact of long-term caregiving, particularly with neurodegenerative diseases like PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) and other conditions that unfold slowly over years. It focuses on how caregiving doesn’t just affect your schedule or emotions, it lives in your body.

Through the lens of a long-haul caregiver and somatic practitioner, Jenna unpacks how burnout builds gradually, and often invisibly and the toll it takes on the nervous system from prolonged stress. Many caregivers don’t recognize this impact until they’re already deep into it. We’ll also share somatic therapy practices that can help caregivers regulate, release, and sustain themselves, instead of simply pushing through.

Check out Jenna’s website https://www.deeplyrootedhealthcoaching.com for more details on somatic therapy and how you can benefit from just a few minutes of somatic therapy a day.