Cancer doesn’t just affect your health. It changes how you see yourself and your life.

In this warm and honest conversation, Chip Conley sits down with Caryn Lerman to explore the emotional side of cancer that often goes unspoken. Together, they talk about identity shifts, caregiving, and what it really means to move through the messy middle of midlife after a diagnosis.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How cancer reshapes identity, not just the body
• Why caregivers carry an invisible emotional load
• What it means to live intentionally after cancer
• How vulnerability can become a source of strength

Watch the full episode and join us for a thoughtful, compassionate conversation about healing, meaning, and becoming who you are now.

Timestamps:

04:14 Psychology of cancer survivors and caregivers

06:47 Identity loss and existential impact of cancer

07:53 Chip’s cancer diagnosis and early denial

13:13 Regret fear, and emotional processing

16:23 Cancer as a teacher and life priorities

19:39 Anxiety treatment and living with uncertainty

20:33 Staying busy to avoid difficult emotions

24:16 Values family and vulnerability

26:01 Strength identity and emotional suppression

28:01 Caregivers and lack of support systems

30:10 Invisible burden of caregiving

32:06 Emotional catharsis and healing journey

35:32 Caregiver and survivor archetypes

38:49 Inside the cancer thrivers workshop

42:18 Identity mapping and letting go

43:41 Meaning values and intentional living

45:42 How friends can best support someone with cancer

47:26 Cancer is not a linear journey

48:28 Wisdom bumper sticker advice

51:53 Growth outside the comfort zone

Learn more about MEA at https://www.meawisdom.com/

What if the way you start your morning is quietly shaping how your whole day feels?

Chip Conley sits down with Derek Gehl to explore why so many midlife routines start to feel empty and how turning them into simple, meaningful rituals can bring more calm, clarity, and purpose to everyday life. Together, Chip and Derek share:

• Why routines can feel mechanical, while rituals help us feel present and changed
• How to gently layer meaning onto things you already do, like showering or stretching
• Why small morning rituals can boost mood, energy, and emotional well-being
• How affirmations work best when they’re personal, specific, and emotionally real
• Easy ways to create micro-rituals that set a better tone for your day

If midlife has you longing for more intention without adding more to your plate, this episode is a friendly invitation to start small and start with your morning.

Give it a listen, try one simple ritual this week, and notice what begins to shift.

Timestamps:

02:12 Morning rituals vs routines

02:28 Routine vs ritual

04:00 Shower meditation prayers

05:48 Affirmations and new stretching ritual

11:21 The impact of morning rituals12:27 Accountability and consistency

14:01 Rituals as landmarks and micro rituals

15:24 How to create your own rituals

17:07 Science and specificity of affirmations

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

In this episode, Chip Conley sits down with Christine Sperber, co-founder of MEA and master experience designer, to explore how awe, ritual, and community can bring us back to life in midlife.

Drawing from ski town culture, life in Baja, and years of building transformational experiences, Christine offers a hopeful reframe of aging as something to design, not fix.

In this conversation, Chip and Christine explore:

• Why purpose matters more than productivity in midlife
• How simple rituals create meaning, resilience, and belonging
• What nature, movement, and community teach us about vitality
• Why transitions like perimenopause and loss call for compassion, not hustle

If midlife feels like a pause, a question mark, or an invitation to something more, this episode will leave you feeling seen, grounded, and hopeful.Listen now and rediscover what it means to feel fully alive in midlife.

Timestamps:

03:22 Christine Sperber’s background

06:55 Leaving Colorado for Baja

08:49 First experience of Baja and Pescadero

10:59 Freedom and living in rhythm with nature

15:15 Experience design and creating meaningful gatherings

17:48 Baking bread as ritual and collective practice

22:14 Origin story of MEA

24:02 Early doubts and building a local economy

26:07 Lessons from the first MEA beta cohorts

30:38 Ski towns, purpose, and longevity research

33:46 Aging, vitality, and midlife perspective

40:49 Introversion, ritual, and reclaiming time

46:19 Third vault conversations and authentic community

48:26 Moral beauty as a pathway to awe

54:11 Transformation through deep connection

56:19 Designing belonging and social bonds

57:28 Wisdom bumper sticker

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/