Happy Healthy Caregiver

Travis Long — known to most as Trap Gambino — is a husband, father, entrepreneur, media personality, and motivational speaker whose caregiving journey is as powerful as it is personal.

In 2022, Trap and his wife Ashlee’s lives were turned completely upside down when they lost their three-year-old daughter to an aggressive cancer— and just weeks later received a devastating diagnosis for Ashlee that resulted in the termination of her pregnancy. Three life-changing griefs in an extraordinarily short period of time is inconceivable.

In this episode, we talk about how Trap has channeled his anger into fuel — using it to get laser-focused on what matters most in his life: his health, his family, and the growth of his MFL business and Katana Rose Foundation. We talk about the importance of truly understanding your loved one's needs, why he believes in letting himself cry when he needs to, and how vulnerability and strength are not opposites — they are partners.

Trap also shares how he and his wife find ways to decompress and reconnect as a family — including one of their favorite simple rituals of saving fun TikToks and watching them together on the big screen. And as a proud Las Vegas resident, he gives us an insider's guide to his hometown — from the unexpected gems of Fremont Street and activities to do with the kids to a full day soaking in the breathtaking Red Rock Mountains.

Show notes with product and resource links:

https://bit.ly/HHCPod238

Receive the podcast in your email here:

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Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal:

http://bit.ly/HHCjournal

For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth:

https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/

The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast:

https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Marti Wymer is a family caregiver, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Spoonful of Comfort — a company inspired by her own experience caring for her mother through cancer while raising two young children and navigating the distance that made it all even harder.

In this episode of the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast, Marti shares what her caregiving journey taught her about grief, emotional support, and showing up for the people we love even from afar. She talks about what it looks like to pour grief into something purposeful.

We talk about why caregiving is so much more than the physical tasks, how little gestures and small acts of showing up can mean everything to someone in a hard season, and why connection itself is one of the most powerful forms of self-care. 

We also get into Marti's memorable Shark Tank experience and the resilience lesson that came out of it, and she shares what she is doing right now to fill her own cup — including how learning AI has become an unexpected way to keep her mind sharp and elevated and simplified her skin routine.

Show notes with product and resource links:

https://bit.ly/HHCPod237

Receive the podcast in your email here:

http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv

Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal:

http://bit.ly/HHCjournal

For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth:

https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/

The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast:

https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Christy Byrne Yates is a sandwich generation caregiver, author, and retired school psychologist who worked with young adults with disabilities.

In this conversation, Christy shares the wisdom and practical tools she has gathered over years of caregiving and coaching. We talk about her CARES framework — a five-part roadmap for sandwich generation caregivers that covers everything from consciously choosing your caregiving role to enlisting a team, recharging your own batteries, and surrendering the need for perfection and control. That last one is a big one — and Christy gets real about what it means to surrender even when the outcome is not what you wanted or hoped for.

We also dig into the very real and sometimes complicated dynamics of managing expectations with siblings, and how the relationships around caregiving can be just as challenging as the caregiving itself. Christy shares her powerful perspective on intentionally choosing your caregiving role as a way to protect and sustain your energy — because how you show up matters as much as what you do.

We talk about her favorite mantra, "connection over correction," and how leading with connection first changes everything — whether you are caring for an aging parent, raising children, or navigating any relationship in your life.

Show notes with product and resource links:

https://bit.ly/HHCPod236

Receive the podcast in your email here:

http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv

Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal:

http://bit.ly/HHCjournal

For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth:

https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/

The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast:

https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Susanna Peace Lovell is a single mother, advocate, and certified professional life coach who has spent over 20 years raising her daughter Arizona, who lives with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, anxiety, and multiple food allergies. She is also a support caregiver for her father, who has undergone several brain procedures — making her caregiving journey multilayered.

In this conversation, Susanna shares about how her Taiwanese cultural background shaped her caregiving experience in profound ways and how that silence influenced her path to becoming a fierce advocate for disability families.

She gets real about her experience with severe postpartum depression and anxiety, the power of taking life one minute at a time, and how journaling has become like oxygen for her survival and growth, especially on those daunting days. We also talk about her ongoing quest to turn down the noise in her life and the soul care practices, including Reiki and meditation, that keep her grounded.

Show notes with product and resource links:

https://bit.ly/HHCPod235

Receive the podcast in your email here:

http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv

Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal:

http://bit.ly/HHCjournal

For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth:

https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/

The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast:

https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Tamara Buzyna Adams knows the sandwich generation experience. She spent years caregiving for her father through dementia while continuing to support her aging mother — all while raising two children and navigating a midlife career pivot.

In this episode, Tamara shares how exploring family history with a loved one living with dementia can be a powerful tool for connection — sparking moments of clarity, preserving identity, and bringing peace to both the person with dementia and the caregivers.

We also get into the deeply relatable emotions around role reversal with aging parents and what it really feels like when the child becomes the caregiver. Tamara shares her experience transitioning a parent to community living, how her family used regular Zoom calls to keep remote family members connected and involved, and the hard-won wisdom she's gained around saying no and setting boundaries as a caregiver.

She shares how her passion for genealogy turned into a profession, and the unexpected self-discovery journey that unfolded through translating her grandma’s handwritten journals and her additional research, which led her to write her book, Last Ship to Freedom. And for anyone curious about digging into their own family history, Tamara shares practical advice on how to get started — no experience needed.

Show notes with product and resource links:

https://bit.ly/HHCPod234

Receive the podcast in your email here:

http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv

Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal:

http://bit.ly/HHCjournal

For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth:

https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/

The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast:

https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW