Happy Healthy Caregiver

Michael Bankowski began his caregiving journey at 11 years old, caring for his grandmother through cancer, and later spent more than a year and a half caring for his mother through stomach cancer. Altogether, he spent more than a decade as a family caregiver — experiences that ultimately shaped his life's work as a nursing home administrator, home care agency founder, and today as the CEO of Prosperous Robotics, where he is developing ROSE, a caregiver robot designed to protect and empower — not replace — the people who care for our loved ones. In this episode, Michael shares his inspiring journey from military service and caregiving to pioneering AI robotics for healthcare. Discover how his innovations aim to transform caregiving, empower patients, and address the global caregiver shortage. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod239 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

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: 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

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