About Amy Friesen: Amy Friesen is a senior living expert, business coach, and the Founder and CEO of Tea & Toast Inc. She leads a team that helps families navigate eldercare decisions and supports professionals in building thriving senior care businesses. A best-selling author and speaker, Amy is known for her clear guidance and compassionate approach. She is also a Forty Under 40 honoree and the 2019 Emerging Entrepreneur Businesswoman of the Year.

In this episode, Brian and Amy Friesen discuss:

• Navigating the challenges of eldercare and making decisions for aging parents
• Financial, legal, and logistical planning required for long-term senior care
• The emotional and relational strain of being in the “sandwich generation”
• The role of advocacy and proactive communication in caregiving transitions

Key Takeaways:

• Proactively initiating conversations around aging, care needs, and future plans—long before a medical or safety crisis arises—can help families avoid panic decision-making and allow for thoughtful, step-by-step preparation.
• Because assisted living and retirement communities offer widely varying levels of care and amenities, asking detailed questions (like whether they support two-person transfers or palliative care) is essential to ensure the facility can accommodate future health decline.
• Visiting senior care facilities at unpredictable times—not just scheduled visits—can reveal the true quality of care and hold staff accountable, as consistent, unscheduled check-ins often lead to noticeable improvements in attentiveness and service.
• Without early access to critical legal and financial documents like powers of attorney, wills, and long-term care directives, caregivers risk making uninformed or delayed decisions during emergencies, potentially compromising their loved ones’ safety and wishes.

"What you want to make sure is that you don't run out of money, that you've budgeted properly, and that you don't run out of care." — Amy Friesen

Connect with Amy Friesen:

Website: https://www.amyfriesen.com/ & https://www.teaandtoast.ca/

Book: Breadcrumbs by Amy Friesen: https://www.amazon.com/Breadcrumbs-Familys-through-Eldercare-Journey-ebook/dp/B0DJ3HGC7V

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyfriesen1

Host contact information: 

• Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com



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About Anastasia Arauz: Anastasia Arauz is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), Registered Play Therapist (RPT), and certified family coach with over 20 years of experience supporting children and families. She holds advanced training in EMDR, trauma-informed care, and parent-child relational work, and is a certified facilitator for the Circle of Security program. Anastasia is also a former National Board Certified Teacher and has served on several boards, including the North Carolina Association for Play Therapy and Zing Zumm Children’s Museum. Through her private coaching practice, she helps overwhelmed families create healthy routines, strong communication, and sustainable support systems. Anastasia blends her clinical expertise with real-world parenting insight to guide families toward healing, connection, and balance.

In this episode, Brian and Anastasia Arauz discuss:

• The struggle to stay mentally and emotionally present during overwhelming life phases
• Navigating communication challenges in family dynamics
• The emotional toll of being stretched across multiple demanding roles
• The importance of setting boundaries and practicing self-care

Key Takeaways:

• Taking time to journal about your limits and responsibilities can help clarify what you can realistically handle and what support you need to ask for.
• Creating a weekly schedule that includes personal self-care time, such as breaks, fun, or recharging moments, is essential to avoid burnout and stay emotionally available to loved ones.
• Open communication with children and partners about ongoing caregiving situations builds mutual understanding and creates space for them to become part of your emotional support system.
• Bringing in outside help—whether through services like meal delivery or hiring someone to drive your child—can lighten the load and make space for being fully present with those who need you.

"Figuring out where you can pull supports in is very helpful." — Anastasia Arauz

Connect with Anastasia Arauz:

Website: https://www.anastasiaarauz.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-arauz-322b4598/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasia.arauz/

Host contact information: 

• Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com



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About Leigh Shulman: Leigh Shulman is a writer, educator, and founder of The Inspired Writer Community, where she mentors women and non-binary writers around the world. With over 20 years of teaching and writing experience, she helps writers build confidence, develop consistent practices, and share their stories with impact. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wired, Vox, and more. Leigh also hosts private writing retreats and is the author of The Writer’s Roadmap, a #1 Writing How-To bestseller.

In this episode, Brian and Leigh Shulman discuss:

• Balancing caregiving responsibilities with personal and family needs
• Setting emotional boundaries while supporting aging parents
• Using journaling and writing as tools for managing caregiving stress
• Navigating difficult family decisions related to aging and health

Key Takeaways:

• Caregivers must recognize personal limitations and learn to set boundaries to prevent guilt and emotional burnout during challenging family transitions.
• Journaling provides a therapeutic and practical method for tracking critical details and processing emotional experiences during intense caregiving periods.
• Navigating sensitive conversations about aging parents' safety and medical needs requires a compassionate yet assertive approach that balances respect with necessary intervention.
• Writing about personal caregiving experiences can serve as both an immediate emotional outlet and a potential future resource for storytelling and sharing insights.

"Journaling is amazing for getting [emotions/stress/internal turmoil] out of your system. It's amazing for problem solving. It's also, particularly if you journal—do gratitude journaling—like, there was a study that showed if you write down three good things that are in your life each day, it improves your physical and mental health." — Leigh Shulman

Connect with Leigh Shulman:

Website: https://leighshulman.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighshulman

Twitter: https://x.com/theLeighShulman

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leighshulman/

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

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

The Writer's Roadmap: Paving the Way to Your Ideal Writing Life: https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Roadmap-Paving-Ideal-Writing/dp/0999697307

Claim your exclusive group coaching session today and take the next step in your writing journey with a vibrant, supportive community of women writers: https://leighshulman.com/podcast/

Host contact information: 

• Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com



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