Meet Sandy Samberg, a nurse practitioner turned serial startup founder.

Sandy’s ventures have spanned the full life journey. Her first, BABY-C, created health educational starter kits for parents & caregivers of infants. She then co-founded SOUL RYEDERS, an organization that provides personalized resources, innovative programs, and community support to people impacted by cancer. Most recently, as Director of The Joe & Sandy Samberg Foundation, she’s turned her focus to psychedelic-assisted therapies to help those approaching end-of-life as well as a wide range of mental health conditions.

Through each stage of her journey, Sandy has stayed true to her mission and purpose. She looks for problems to solve and then teams up with smart people to solve them in ways that make a positive impact on others.

Sandy's approach to problem-solving blends an attitude of humble curiosity with a willingness to take bold action. From launching a wig exchange program to involving multi-generational volunteers, she exemplifies how uplifters can create waves of change.

5 Uplifting Lessons from Sandy:

1. Identify needs and get creative about filling them. Don't be deterred if the solution doesn't yet exist - you may be the one to create it.

2. Build diverse teams of collaborators. Gather people with varied perspectives and strengths to tackle challenges together.

3. Adopt a "win or learn" mindset. View setbacks not as failures but opportunities to gain wisdom for the next endeavor.

4. Ask "Does this person want to be helped, heard or hugged?" Then tune into how you can be of greatest service.

5. Prioritize self-reflection and self-care. Make time to look inward, pinpoint areas for growth, and replenish yourself through practices that spark joy.

Sandy was nominated by the always-inspiring, Lia Buffa De Feo from episode 44 of The Uplifters! If you aren’t reading Lia’s Substack, Fly Bravely you’re missing out on her beautiful and courageous lens on life.

Follow the Uplifters podcast on social media or our Substack www.theuplifterspodcast.com.

Welcome to the Uplifters podcast. I'm Aransas Savvis and I'll be your host, but most of what you'll get to do today is hear the story of Sandy Sandberg. Sandy's a nurse practitioner, but she has done so much more than just work in clinical settings. She's looked for ways to truly serve her community. Sandy, thank you for being here.

Thank you. Thanks for such a warm welcome. This whole concept of an uplifter is just really inspiring and really resonates pretty deeply with me. I always try, actually part of my self care, to surround myself with positive people. And it also brings me back to this children's book that was like my favorite book to read to the kids. It was called Have You Filled a Bucket Today? I don't know if you've heard of it, but yeah, it's about bucket fillers and bucket dippers. And so...

Oh, yes.

Um, and, you know, we need more bucket fillers in this world to make it a better place. And so the whole uplifter, um, concept really kind of brought me back to reading that book to my kids night after night after night.

Oh, I love that. I love that. Yeah, my husband's in TV news and he spends a lot of time sad about the stories he has to tell and we always dreamed of a platform where we could just share the Bucket Fillers stories and yeah, so to get to sit with one another in our ears and remember all of the love and the heart and

the genuine goodness in the world. Yeah, I agree.

Yeah. And then I just, I mean, the timing was wild, but I feel really honored,, to be able to have this conversation with you and to be recommended by Leah, whose podcast episode of yours was amazing. I literally turned on my phone to as I went to work out this morning on the treadmill and I barely even remember exercising, which is very rare for me. So she is just such an inspiring.

She's incredible. I'm so grateful to her. I'm so grateful for her bravery. It's a story that needs to be heard and shared, because I think it is, like so many of our stories, it's something that can leave us feeling a sense of shame and isolation. And it is a time in our lives when, more than ever, we need connection and truth and compassion.

Ahem.

So how, Sandy, did you end up a nurse practitioner?

That's a good question. It actually all started when I was pretty young. My dad is a pediatrician and I started working in his office, I think it was in fifth grade. And I was like, yeah, and he would take me on Sundays, it was like the special treat to get to go to the nursery with him at the hospital and see all the babies. And then I became a candy striper. And, you know, I was always interested in healthcare. And then when I was 16, I was actually involved in a pretty traumatic accident.

I was physically fine, but my sister was very badly injured. And so she was in the hospital all summer. And so I spent a lot of time there and I really took in the different roles of all the different healthcare professionals. And I remember saying to my parents that, you know, the role of the nurse really just kind of felt right to me, but I wanted to do more than, you know, a regular nurse and it was my dad who told me about nurse practitioners. And this was like in the late eighties and nobody knew what a nurse practitioner was then. And so.

But I was intrigued and so I did some research and then I said, you know what? I'm just going to find like, what's the best school that I could go to where I could become a nurse practitioner. And so my research landed me at the university of Pennsylvania. I went down there when I was 16 years old and made a decision right there and then that that's what I wanted to be. And even though some of my teachers couldn't believe it and some relatives and, you know, why wouldn't you be a doctor? And, but I, I was pretty determined for a handful of reasons that this was the path I wanted to go down.

when I started out at Penn in undergraduate, I was kind of going between primary care and mental health and decided to go the primary care route just to get like a good foundation. And also I was a little concerned with knowing my personality with mental health that I wouldn't, especially at that age, I wasn't very good at drawing boundaries. And I just felt like I would take some of that stuff home with me. So I could always go into mental health later on.

So anyways, I did a handful of things. I worked in a pediatric practice and then saw a need there that I ended up leaving to create a starter kit for new parents. And so that was a whole exciting chapter. started a company it was bought by another company. Everything was going great. And then 9-11 happened.

It's a sad long story from there, but in any case, we had lost unfortunately two of my husband's closest friends and so it was a really difficult time and the loss of a business was hard, but the loss of friends was much harder and so it was all about perspective. And so then we had two little babies. I took no maternity leave. I was a complete workaholic and we just decided we needed a new chapter. So we moved out of New York City. We moved to Westchester and.

just took some time to be home with the kids. And that was definitely challenging in that it was a big identity shift. And then I started to volunteer and I had volunteered a lot as a kid. So I kind of felt like I was back at home and you know, with volunteering and I was at a community center for the underserved and I volunteered at a caregiver center at a hospital. And my husband and I started talking about starting a philanthropic foundation, which we ultimately did.

And so I was like, great, you know, I was planning on doing it myself, but that's great. So the three of us did it together. And during the walk, I was like, this is amazing. Like, what do you think about starting a team from our community? I live in Rye, New York. And, you know, I think there was like a lot of women who would really like this. And I think they thought it was an okay idea, but they weren't like, woohoo, let's go do it. So I was, because I was kind of in this transitional stage of my life anyways, I was like, you know what? I'll give it a try.

So I started a team in 2007, and then it continued to grow in numbers and the amount that we raised. And then I ended up, there were some needs in our community and some people in our community who were diagnosed with cancer.

And I felt like all of our money was going to the Avon Foundation and we had friends and neighbors who needed help. And so long story short, decided to turn this team into an organization and started a nonprofit cancer support organization, which I led for over a dozen years, created a lot of really unique programs through that, had an amazing experience, great team of people, our leadership team there. and through that experience, I saw a lot of end of life and.

honestly, like a lot of end of life that just was not done very well, in my opinion, you know, there's so much emphasis and joy around the beginning of life, right, and bringing kids into this world. And then, on the other end of the life cycle, I just felt like there were things for the physical suffering, but not a lot for the emotional suffering. And that was really hard to see. I saw some, some deaths that were done really

beautifully and they really stick out. In my mind it's kind of like when you see parents doing a really good job and you're like, ooh, note to self, that's what I wanna do when I'm a parent. So I have a few of those situations where I kind of made notes to myself that this was done really well., but then end of life issues hit home when a loved one of ours was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he spiraled into a really deep depression and was diagnosed as a treatment resistant depression because nothing was working.

Hehehehe

Long story short, this loved one had two sessions of psilocybin and it was just completely life-changing for him, for his loved ones. He was able to come to terms with his ultimate passing. He mended some relationships that needed mending. He knew what was important in life and what wasn't and how he wanted to spend the remaining time that he had., it had a profound impact on me.

, a little bit later. But while he was still alive, but he had stopped treatment at this point, I had a conversation with my son. And one night and my son, this particular one isn't a very outwardly emotional young adults. And he got really sad and started crying actually and said, you know, I wonder, you know, like, when

how is he doing this? How is he getting up every morning knowing that he's going to die so soon? You know, what's going through his mind? What does he regret? What does he wish he could just get up and get out of bed and go do that he didn't get to do during his life? And then he turned inward. And he said, it makes me think if I were diagnosed with a terminal illness tomorrow, what would I regret? the next morning I woke up and I was laying in bed kind of processing the conversation. I was like, that's actually a good question for anyone to ask themselves.

Hmm.

Mm.

Yeah.

So I'm laying there and I asked myself the question, you know, if I were to diagnose with terminal illness, what would I regret? And a lot of things came to my mind. And I was really surprised because I'm happy and life is great. And I feel really fortunate for so many things. And so I thought, wow, you know what? I should probably like unpack some of these things and kind of, you know, pay attention to them. And so over the course of the next three months or so, I took each one of the things that came to my mind that morning and just.

dug a little deeper and decided to make some significant changes. And so one of them was just like, I have all these other interests. I have so many things I want to do in this life. And the way I was, I was a total workaholic 24 seven with this cancer support organization, which I loved, but I just couldn't do anything else beyond that. And so I decided to pass the torch as executive director and, um, start a new chapter in that mental health interest of mine that had started when I was young.

Mm-hmm.

was looming there and then this whole experience with psilocybin and this loved one was,, kind of hanging in this part of my head. And so I decided, okay, this next chapter, I'm gonna explore mental health. I'm gonna cast a wide net and then just, I had no set plan at the time. And so I casted a wide net and started to look into a handful of different things. And as soon as I started to look into psychedelic assisted therapy, I just went down the rabbit hole and that's what I've dedicated.

Hmm.

My time too, since then, my husband and I did end up starting that philanthropic foundation, um, back in 2007. And so we, prior to this, we, we're primarily donating to causes for the underserved for physical and mental health, food insecurity, employment, education, and now we've kind of taken the mental health part of that and expanded it and are supporting a lot of different nonprofits in the

psychedelic assisted therapy space. I'll tell you the thing, there's so much, I am moved by in here, this question you asked yourself about end of life and not just asking the question, but doing something about it. you are an unusually activated person.

Yeah.

You are really good at starting things. And I think many of us have ideas. We see problems, but we don't take the next step to create solutions. Maybe we don't feel the permission, maybe we don't know the process, we get overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, but.

you are remarkably good at moving past any of those thoughts. So I'm just really curious, as somebody who's done this a lot of times, I mean, you moved, you started the foundation, you changed careers, you started a startup. I mean, that's a lot. That was sort of a mile by mile, 40 mile journey.

So what does that process look like for you Sandy in reflection?

Well, put it this way, I've learned a lot more from my mistakes and from any successes that I've had, which I think is important. Self-reflection, self-awareness. I mean, and in my phone, I have a list that every time when I kind of go away or have some time to do some deep thinking, I'm always putting,, what are my weaknesses? How can I work on them? Setting goals for myself and then kind of checking in X amount of months later.

Yay, I agree.

But it all starts with, it's a very organic process and I've done it a handful of times now between the starter kit and then the cancer support organization and then this chapter that I'm in right now and some of the projects I've started in the psychedelic space. So it all starts with just identifying a need.

and then figuring out some sort of creative way to fill that need. And then it's a matter of finding the right people to collaborate with, because you can never do anything by yourself. You'd never want to do anything, or I would never want to do anything by myself. You just, you know, bringing in diverse opinions and thoughts and backgrounds and professional skills. And so, yeah, so one company was a for-profit, one was a nonprofit. And now I'm just, it's a bunch of different.

projects and then our foundation. So yeah, I think it's a lot of trial and error and being willing to like, when something's not working, I always say like, instead of win or lose, it's win or learn. And so those learnings are key. And I, from each chapter, I have learned things that have then helped me with the next chapter. And then, and I also try to...

mentor others and inspire them. Like when people have an idea, it's like, go for it, try it. If you don't try, you'll never know. Like for example, within the Cancer Support Organization, I was getting a lot of people who were calling who needed a wig and they were like, I can't afford them. They're so expensive. My insurance doesn't cover it and where do I go and how do I get, lots of questions around wigs, lots of people who needed them.

and a lot of barriers. And then there was a woman who had this beautiful $3,000 wig that she didn't need anymore. And so, and she had her husband worked with exchanges at work. And so we said, wait a second, let's get together and kind of brainstorm this idea. I have people who need wigs. You have a wig that you don't need. Your husband works with exchanges. And so we created the wig exchange, which is probably our largest program at the Cancer Support Organization that started. So.

survivors or those who no longer need their wigs, donate them to the organization, and then they're either brand new or gently used. If they're gently news, we have them professionally cleaned and reconditioned, and then we loan them out to those who need them, who might not otherwise be able to get one, or maybe they would. And I always say, if it's about spending money on a vacation, or I'd much rather you take that vacation, and we can give you a wig,

I can probably take that vacation and we can get away with it. But I think in addition to that, so that was like where the idea started, but then I also have the experience of...

But in addition, so that was like where the idea started, but then I've also had this experience of how it's so nice when you're going through any sort of adversity to talk to somebody who's on the other side of it, who's been through it, is on the other side. So we have wig advisors who are all cancer survivors themselves. So they've been through chemo, lost their hair, worn a wig, and they're matched up one-on-one with a newly diagnosed woman to help them

Mm.

So again, it's just like identifying a need, there was a need, here's a creative way. But I remember when we were first thinking about starting it, I was like, I have no idea if this is gonna work or not. I don't know why no one else in this country is doing this because I looked around to see, you know, well, this has to exist was what I said to myself initially. So I'm thrilled that we tried, it's grown, and now we have Wigs Without Borders in developing countries around the world with our wigs.

Hmm.

And then we have one out in San Francisco too. So it was worth the risk.

Oh my gosh. Yes. And I guess just, I think, what an amazing idea. And like you said, maybe kind of obvious. And yet, again, the solutions had not been created. And there's a good chance you weren't the first person to see the problem or the solution. One of the things that strikes me in this process that you've outlined, and I so appreciate you making it so clear, which is identify a need.

Yeah

look for a solution and team up with diverse collaborators. And then keep learning and stay focused on learning. And one of the things I noticed in your mindset that is unique here that I think we can all benefit from a reminder of is I don't hear you focusing on failure at any of these points. What if this doesn't work? What if people don't want this? It's just, let's.

put it out there and learn from doing. And I'm just a huge believer in that approach, the learn from action, learn from experimentation approach. But the other thing I hear in what you're saying is a strong filter for which problems to go after, which needs to go after. So I'm curious how you think about those.

That's a really good question. I feel like they just when I'm able to do the kind of deeper thinking, right, which is not in my everyday, I'm sort of like, you know, I have my to do list, I'm just going and doing but then I take some time to do deeper thinking. And when I'm doing that deeper thinking, I feel like there's certain things that keep coming up in my mind, like problems that I've identified and

what's the solution? I was just doing this yesterday with something and I was like, okay, I need to get away from my desk. I need to get away from all distractions, my phone and I need to just sit and think deeply about a solution here. And I kind of came up with an outline which will need to be tweaked, I'm sure. But that's the beauty of it, right? You have to start somewhere and that's where getting input from other people is so valuable, just kind of putting feelers out there. I've had a lot of ideas that have not.

Mm-hmm.

you know, panned out, but that's okay, right? It's kind of like, you know, leaves growing on a tree, right? And then some of them fall off and then some,, kind of blossom. And so I'm not afraid to fail, I guess, is an important piece here. I'm willing to look at myself in the mirror and say, you know what, I tried and it just didn't work. And that's okay, I'll move on to the next thing. So without being too attached to any sort of outcome, I think.

Mm-hmm.

that's helpful too. It's a little bit of like stoicism and that there's, um, yeah, that like, I'm not, and I'm not doing this for anything for me. Like I'm doing this to, to better the world. Right. And if my idea of a way to better the world isn't working, if that particular idea isn't working, that's okay. There's many other ways to,, make this world a better place. So I'll just, move on to the next one, um, without,, letting myself get

down on myself. I just again use it as an opportunity to learn any sort of adversity. I always just flip the script. It's not adversity. It's like what's the opportunity here? I do a lot of this, like, flipping in my head. So things like I have to do this, I change it to I get to do this. And, you know, like, and that was like a lot when I was bringing up our children who are now in their 20s. But it was like,

Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

I have to drive the carpool, I have to do the laundry, I have to, you know, whatever. And then as soon as I flipped it, I get to, you know, like even picking the kids up late at night, you know, why is it always me? I love my husband, but why does he get to sleep?, and so I was kind of resentful. And then I just flipped the script and I was like, you know what, I get to pick them up. I get to see where I'm picking them up, have the conversations in the car, take their friends home. And as soon as I flipped that, it was like, I mean,

Hmm

I was like this happy little Uber driver picking everybody up.

Well, and it seems to there the distinction was not just the I get to,, but what you did was so much more specific. You thought about, well, what do I get to do within this? What are the rewards of getting to do this? So have to versus get to, I think, yes, it does start the shift.

But it can also just feel a little bit like glossed over until you get to like, well, as human beings, we are wired to want what is best for ourselves. And that underlying question of, well, what's in it for me? Is there, whether we're conscious of it or not? And I think as you're pointing out, the more specific we can be about what's in it for us, the more genuine buy-in and power we get from that shift. The other...

Mm-hmm.

thing you mentioned that is so cool is you said, not exactly in this way, but so I'll summarize it, you said, it's not about me, it's about the idea. Because in my head I was like, how is she so okay with risk? I was like, I don't know.

And that's why I think in large part is because you're not risking your identity. You're not risking, am I smart? Am I a good founder? Am I impactful? It's, is this the right solution for this problem?

my passion is to help other people. I am so much happier and more comfortable helping other people than doing something for myself. Like it just, I don't know, it's just, so if I'm trying to help someone else and it's not working, the idea isn't working, that's okay, it's almost like a

Mm-hmm.

ball of clay that I'm just molding and like, okay, so let me just mold it a little differently, right. And then maybe I can still achieve that same goal of helping that person. It's like, there was I read an article recently, which had this great line that I've been has really helped me structure when I'm trying to help people, whether it's an individual or a larger problem or whatever, but this specifically is for helping with an individual. But the question that I asked is, does this person want to be helped, heard or hugged?

it is such a great structure. I get calls pretty much every day, calls or emails from people, whether they have cancer or mental health issues or other, you know, just questions or problems or whatever. And when I use that framework, some people definitely wanna be helped. They want that tangible, who do I call? Where do I go? What do I do?

Mmmm

Mm-hmm.

Some people, they just want to be heard. They want to be validated. They want to vent. They want to complain. They want to feel like it's okay to feel crappy about this, you know, and then others just need a hug, you know? And so, so yeah, that's something that's been helpful for me when I'm trying to figure out the best way that I can help an individual. And I use that framework a little bit when I'm kind of thinking of larger, larger issues to help. Yeah.

Yeah.

Hmm. Interesting. Say more on that.

well and are according to plan, hopefully the first medicine MDMA will be approved for PTSD. But when people come to me,, they know that this is an area that I'm, you know, fairly deeply involved with now. but it's not right for everybody. And there's, there's risks to it. And so I use that structure in my mind, when someone comes to me with a mental health issue.

because you can access these medicines in other countries legally. So I do have resources for them if they are interested in going down this path. But I think to myself about this specific person, do they wanna be helped, heard or hugged, right? And if they wanna be helped, then that's something that I kinda go through in my mind, whether asking myself whether psychedelic assisted therapy would be good for that particular person. But oftentimes it's that they just need to be heard.

or they want to be hugged, right.

What a beautiful question and practice and how our world would change if we were all asking that question in every interaction, especially those of us who are wired for service. We've talked a lot about on this show that one of the biggest challenges for uplifters is the writing reflex and the desire to help even when the type of help being offered is not necessarily aligned with the type of help being.

desired. And so I think that framework is really valuable for uplifting in general, for service-oriented folks to help us remind ourselves that there are different ways of service and that people are often

pretty clear about what they want if we open ourselves to listening to that, certainly through asking that question, but also just through hearing the truth of the response.

Mm-hmm.

And even with the polarization in our society these days, I feel like that framework works too. Sometimes people just need to be heard, right? Like, and it's not all black and white. Let's start a dialogue. Let's, let's respect each other's different opinions and see if we can come to some sort of agreement on at least certain things, right? And that there's probably more overlap and similarities than we think, because everything kind of is made out to be so black and white today, but if you actually take the time to listen, as you're suggesting and

Mm-hmm.

make somebody feel heard, then I think we could have better outcomes.

Yeah, I think so too. And I think it is a time for that, maybe more than any other time, because we are pulled apart in so many ways, and it is up to uplifters to bring us back together. So we get to practice that wherever we are in the world, whatever problems we see, we get to...

learn through the experience how we can truly be most of service

And then also when we are of service, right? Like, I mean, I'm sure that you and everyone else that you've interviewed on this podcast feel this way, but like giving back feels good, right? And so I feel so fortunate that I've been able to give back for basically all of my life and that it has in a large part contributed to my happiness. And so what I like to do also is to kind of help the next generation see and feel that and learn it firsthand. And so like through...

Mm-hmm.

the Cancer Support Organization, Soul Riders. We do a lot of volunteering and multi-generational projects too, which is really nice. Like just seeing like three generations in a room together, right? Working on creating mastectomy pillows or drain pockets or whatever it is and having conversations. That's so rare these days, right? To have grandparents, parents, and children all in the same room working towards a...

single purpose, right, and helping others. So, a lot of my experiences with volunteerism, I love bringing in others into whatever projects I'm working on.

There must be something too about the way you invite people in that makes them want to participate.

I try and do it in a very non pushy way. Like I only, I think it's sometimes just my when I'm passionate about something, you know, and then I kind of reach out to friends to see if they're interested. I think. Yeah, I don't I never want to put pressure on anyone. And I always am very clear about that. And even with donating money on the same way, it's like, I only want you to donate money if this resonates with you, because there's lots of great organizations and causes you can

Mm-hmm.

donate your money to. If you share any of this passion that I have, great. And if not, I totally get it. And same thing with volunteering, hands-on stuff, you know. But it's so neat when you invite someone in and then they have a positive experience. And then even like through SoulWriter, the cancer support organization, the amount of friendships that have taken off from people volunteering together, meeting through the organization is pretty amazing. So, and that was how I met Leah.

Yeah.

I also hear, ah, yes, I also hear in what you're saying that you mentioned reflection early on, but it's also, it's not just reflection on what's working and what isn't, but reflection on the ripple effects What does your reflection practice look like? ["The Ripple Effect"]

That was it. Yeah.

Yes, definitely.

Well, so I do keep notes in my in my phone and go back to those, you know, every couple of months. I also I went on a retreat, a wellness retreat. And as part of that process, there was some homework before you went on the actual retreat, and it was kind of identifying some patterns that you wanted to change or things about yourself that you wanted to improve upon. And so I

did a lot of soul searching and I came up with 13 things that I wanted to work on. And then one of the exercises encouraged you to kind of pull the layers back and like, why do these problems exist and why do these patterns exist in the first place? And it was really eye opening. I mean, some of them went all the way back to childhood. I had never connected those dots before. And just to tease apart certain things. I mean, for example, one of them was that

I wanted to like just drink a little bit less. I was having like an habit of like having a couple glasses of wine every night. And so and I'm on Coumadin, which is a blood thinner. And so I would kind of justify it that I needed to drink because I need to have vitamin K and I balance them out. But that's ridiculous, because there's three levers, the medicine, vitamin K and alcohol. And so anyways, but when I pulled the when I really kind of started to think about why I drink that, two glasses of wine a night or whatever.

broke it down into, I drink part of it was rituals. So my husband and I during the pandemic, started a new ritual because work was blending into home. So we started to do yin yoga, which is like basically a meditative stretch at the end of the like workday to break up work from home. And then after yin yoga, I would go into the kitchen, turn on the music, pour myself a glass of wine and cook dinner. And I loved that. But I was like, wait a second, but

Mm-hmm.

Could I have kombucha or could I have seltzer with a fresh squeeze lime? Like did I really need the alcohol? You know, that was one reason. A second, so I got rid of that. A second reason was stress. And I was like, you know what? That's probably not the best reason to drink. Like what else could I do? Could I do some deep breathing? Could I turn on some spa music, light a candle, go outside, take a walk, just sit in nature. So I got rid of that glass and that was done. The third was social, you know, and I was like,

Mm.

you know what, that's okay. Like I can go out and drink socially, but have a drink, I don't need two or three drinks, and then my last was like, if I've like accomplished something or you know, to celebrate and I was like, well, that doesn't happen that often. So I can keep that glass. So anyways, so there were Yeah, so 13 different patterns, behaviors. And so that took a lot of self reflection and sometimes it's hard to look at those things, you have to be vulnerable and, and willing to kind of

So there were, yeah, so there's...

is raw, right? Like you're looking at your, at your at your shadows and trying to dissect them and but I have to say I've made improvement as is now it'll be a year in March since I did that. And I've actually, I think pretty much I mean, I do hold myself accountable. So I will go back to that journal and kind of check in soon, at the one year anniversary, but I think I'm like making some decent progress on almost all of them.

Wow. Somebody said today, life is not about learning, it's about remembering. Because so much of it is just us reminding ourselves again and again. But you had the courage and did the work.

to create that list and to be really honest with yourself and then revisited it. And I think for all of us, that is an immeasurably important practice. So one of the things we always talk about in every episode is self-care practices for uplifters while we're so busy taking care of everyone and everything else. And certainly your life is so led by service. Tell me in under a minute,

self-care practices.

, my morning self care practice is probably the key for me. Um, I get up between usually four 30 and five. I, um, go clear out my emails from the night and then I work out. I shower, I come downstairs. I, my husband's made coffee at that point. We sit, we chat every morning and just set, you know, kind of have that connection again. And then I read my newsletters.

bit of the newspaper and then it's usually like around 730, 730 to 8 and I feel like I have taken care of myself. I've filled my bucket. I feel strong and I'm like ready to take on the day and help people for the rest of my day. So without that it's definitely harder for me and so I really put a lot of weight in that and I kind of bookend my day and then at the end of the workday my husband and I do yin yoga

And that kind of helps me downshift from the day. And it just kind of turns my brain off for a little bit and helps me transition into the time that my husband and I then have the rest of the night. sleep is hugely important. When I was younger, when I was doing the starter kit for new parents, I and I had two little kids and no maternity leave. I used to be able to get away with like...

I don't know, I would sleep like three to four hours a night. That was it. And I could do that for like eight to 10 nights in a row. And then I needed one good night and then I could do it again. And it was kind of like a badge of honor, right? Like, oh, I don't need that much sleep. I have completely come full circle on sleep. I feel like my brain is like a hard drive and it just crashes at a certain point. and a good night's sleep is so important in order to kind of feel fresh in the morning and be able to give back and do what I do throughout the day.

So I would say, and then, you know, I also, whenever I'm stressed, I kind of have, well, in my phone, I keep a list of like my joy triggers. And so if I'm ever like kind of struggling or in a funk or whatever, I'll just go into my phone and look up that list and inevitably there's something on there that resonates at that moment that will help me get out of my funk. Or if I'm stressed, I always, I turn on spa music. I love like being in a spa like that.

Ugh.

feeling. And so I kind of recreate that at home. I you know, my office, I like candles, listen to spa music. Sometimes I'll p lie down for a few minutes with an eye pillow, I'll do some deep breathing. And that always just kind of brings me back to it stabilizes me. So and I take walks. Sometimes with friends, sometimes by myself, sometimes, you know, I'll listen to podcasts. Other times, I just need like

Delicious.

I just need a clear brain. I don't want any distractions.

Yeah.

Such a robust and well-balanced set of practices. Sandy, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for all you do in the world. Thank you for sharing your story and your mindset. And for all of you listening, I hope you hear in Sandy's story.

Maybe some inspiration to go solve some problems that you see to get out there and see what happens when you show up for the challenge and get curious about what might be possible if you find yourself a diverse team of collaborators to go make a difference.