In this episode, we sit down with the amazing Dr. Joan Monin from Yale University to talk about the real, raw, and often overlooked emotional weight of caregiving—especially for those of us juggling careers, kids, and aging parents. Joan not only brings a wealth of research and experience in public health, but also shares her personal journey as a daughter navigating her mom’s dementia diagnosis. This one hits close to home.

We unpack the psychological barriers that prevent caregivers from getting the support they need, the tension of being a “pre-caregiver,” and how to manage stress before burnout hits. Joan introduces us to a simple but powerful emotional regulation tool called WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan)—and trust us, you’re going to want to try it. If you’ve ever felt stuck between showing up for your job and showing up for your family, this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights:

[2:13] - Welcoming Dr. Joan Monin and learning a fun fact about her town's connection to the Statue of Liberty
[4:43] - Joan opens up about her personal caregiving story and her parents' challenges with dementia
[7:53] - The emotional disconnect between academic knowledge and real-life caregiving
[10:50] - Why accessing a therapist as a caregiver is harder than it should be
[14:06] - How Joan’s caregiving journey shifted her perspective on work-life balance
[16:39] - What Joan learned by watching her kids interact with their grandparents
[19:05] - A deep dive into emotional self-regulation and the WOOP method for caregivers
[27:52] - How WOOP works and how it’s helping caregivers manage guilt, anxiety, and stress
[31:02] - Introducing Borrow My Glasses and their innovative caregiver education efforts
[34:40] - The spousal caregiver dilemma and why unpaid caregiving laws need to change
[35:55] - The double standard society places on women, spouses, and working caregivers
[41:07] - The surprising divorce statistics among early-stage dementia caregivers
[43:33] - Joan’s latest research focused on helping people live well with dementia
[46:26] - How to connect with Dr. Monin and learn more about her work

Links & Resources:

· Joan Monin PhD Yale Website: https://ysph.yale.edu/profile/joan-monin/

· Joan Monin website: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hwgGVxMAAAAJ&hl=en

· Joan Monin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-monin-54153a8b/

· WOOPmylife.org: https://woopmylife.org/

· "WOOP" study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38687142/

· Borrow My Glasses website: https://borrowmyglasses.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a review. Remember to check out our website at invisibleemployeeadvocates.com for more resources, and subscribe to our newsletter for updates! We’ll catch you in the next episode.

In this episode, we (Selma and Zack) sit down with the brilliant Breana Patel to unpack one of the most pressing challenges facing our society today: the silver tsunami. With a rapidly aging population and a dwindling caregiver workforce, Breana shares how AI-powered solutions can make caregiving not only safer and more effective for patients but also far more manageable for caregivers—especially those of us juggling full-time work and family responsibilities. From her personal caregiving story to the development of a powerful, privacy-first platform built to support long-term care facilities, Breana offers us a hopeful vision for the future. We talk about AI’s role in preventing falls, streamlining discharge plans, improving communication, and even reducing stress for long-distance caregivers.

Breana Patel is a serial entrepreneur, CEO, and visionary at the forefront of AI and healthcare innovation. As the founder of Owle AI, she is redefining care coordination by tackling one of the industry’s most pressing challenges—staff burnout and turnover—through intelligent automation. A repeat founder with a career spanning public health service delivery and in global finance, Breana has held leadership roles at Morgan Stanley, Deutsche bank and others , and partnered with public health agencies in New York to advance aging and healthcare initiatives. She holds executive MBA from MIT Sloan with cross registration at Harvard, has been featured in Forbes and on CBS Live, and is a recognized thought leader within the MIT startup ecosystem. Beyond building companies, Breana is passionate about mentoring the next generation of women leaders in STEM and championing economic empowerment on a global scale.

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] - Breana explains the meaning behind “silver tsunami” and the growing need for elder care innovation
[2:07] - Welcoming Breana Patel and her connection to caregiving through personal experience
[7:29] - The nurse shortage crisis and the overwhelming demands on care providers
[9:17] - How AI can relieve stress for family caregivers and improve patient response times
[12:08] - The role of large language models in simplifying communication for caregivers
[13:38] - Using voice AI to tackle administrative burdens like appointment scheduling
[14:23] - What employers and society can do to prepare for the silver tsunami
[16:55] - Addressing privacy concerns and how Breana’s platform is built with privacy in mind
[18:25] - Is the platform just for facilities? Breana shares her vision for in-home care
[19:54] - Creating intuitive, plug-and-play tech for caregivers with no time for training
[24:52] - Managing multiple patients in one household with personalized AI
[25:39] - How employers can offer caregiving support as a benefit

Links & Resources:

· Susie Singer Carter's episode with Breana Patel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwzz9eEwcq0

· Owle AI website: https://owle.ai/

· Breana's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breanapatel/

· Zack's challenge: Reach out to Breana Patel if you have a family member in a long term care facility.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a review. Remember to check out our website at invisibleemployeeadvocates.com for more resources, and subscribe to our newsletter for updates! We’ll catch you in the next episode.

In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with our friend and grief advocate, Leslie Weirich, whose decades-long journey through caregiving and loss has shaped her mission to bring hope and understanding to others. From caring for aging parents and siblings to navigating unimaginable personal tragedies, Leslie’s story offers both powerful perspective and practical wisdom for anyone touched by grief or the caregiving experience.

We explore the parallels between caregiving and grief, the importance of creating supportive workplaces, and why connection truly is protection. Leslie shares the inspiration behind her book The Gift of Grief, along with candid thoughts on why traditional bereavement policies fall short and how employers can better support their people. Whether you’re a caregiver, an HR leader, or someone walking through loss, this conversation will leave you with hope, tools, and a renewed sense of community.

Leslie Weirich has been speaking on the topic of Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Grief since 2017. She often says, “She didn’t choose this work, but this work chose her.” Through her own experiences, she discovered the transformative power of grief, learning to navigate the complexities of loss and uncovering the resilience that emerges from pain. Her commitment to mental health support is deeply personal, having been greatly affected by the loss of her son. On September 10, 2016, her door bell rang at 2:30 in the morning and changed her life forever. Her 20-year-old son Austin died by suicide while a Junior at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN. She resigned from her full-time job as a recruiter and began speaking throughout the nation and never looked back. She wrote "The Gifts of Grief," in 2024, which details her journey through four decades of personal loss.

Episode Highlights:

[2:55] – Introducing Leslie Weirich and her background in caregiving and advocacy.
[5:00] – Leslie’s early caregiving journey with her parents and brothers.
[8:25] – Turning personal loss into advocacy and public speaking.
[10:41] – Writing The Gift of Grief and the healing process behind it.
[14:25] – Caregivers and the risk of suicidal ideation — why connection matters.
[17:09] – “Connection is protection” and practical systems that lighten the caregiver’s load.
[19:34] – How managers can support employees during and after caregiving.
[22:25] – Rethinking the three-day bereavement policy.
[28:32] – Expected vs. unexpected loss and the unique support each requires.
[32:22] – Grieving with hope and carrying forward the legacy of loved ones.
[33:21] – Where to connect with Leslie online.

Links & Resources:

• Leslie’s website: https://leslieshope.org/
• Leslie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-weirich-a55a73159/
• Book: The Gift of Grief by Leslie Weirich
• Cornerstone of Hope: https://cornerstoneofhope.org/
• Leslie's website: https://leslieshope.org/
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-health-breakthroughs-for-young-adults-families/id1653016005
• Michael George The Pink Book https://www.soaringfamilies.com/PinkBook
• Bereave: https://www.bereave.io/