In this episode of The Things We Know, Lisa and Kari explore what happens when life doesn't match the vision board. Drawing from their coaching work and lived experience, they unpack why tools like intention setting and mindset can be powerful when they work, and why they can become painful or even shaming when reality intervenes. Together they examine the limits of manifestation culture, the role of grief and adaptation in seasons shaped by caregiving, illness, or disruption, and what research actually tells us about motivation and follow-through. The conversation moves toward a more honest and humane way of orienting our lives, one that holds intention and reality at the same time, honors desire without demanding outcomes, and makes room for compassion, flexibility, and growth in the lives we are actually living.

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In this powerful episode, Lisa and Kari sit down with Jessica Patay, founder and executive director of We Are Brave Together, a global nonprofit created to support caregiving mothers raising children with disabilities and medical complexities. Jessica shares the personal story that sparked her mission, the invisible isolation so many caregivers endure, and why community is not a luxury, it is survival. Together they talk about the courage it takes to ask for help, how to build deep friendships in midlife when life is already heavy, and what it looks like to move from Why me to What now with self-compassion and strength. If you are a caregiver, love someone who is, or simply crave more meaningful community in this season of life, this conversation will make you feel seen and less alone.

We Are Brave Together: https://www.wearebravetogether.org/

Brave Together Podcast:

on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Where to find Kari and Lisa:

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In this episode of The Things We Know, Kari and Lisa slow down to talk about why storytelling has always mattered so much, and why it still does right now. They reflect on story as a way we make sense of what we've lived, how women across cultures have carried memory and meaning when formal histories fell short, and why telling our own stories is never just personal. The conversation explores how stories can heal, connect, and help us become more fully ourselves, while also naming the quiet power of paying attention to who is telling the story and why. At its heart, this episode is about storytelling as a way of staying awake, preserving truth, and refusing to let our lives, our histories, or our humanity be flattened or rewritten by someone else.

Do you want to start telling your story? Join us for our next Best Chapter Yet retreat, Sept 18-20, 2026 in Portland, OR

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Where to find Kari and Lisa:

The Things We Know Podcast Homepage

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThingWeKnowPodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thethingsweknowpod