Stuck in the Middle Podcast

By: Brian Sacks
  • Summary

  • Welcome to the Stuck in the Middle Podcast, your go-to resource for navigating the challenges of being sandwiched between raising children and caring for aging parents. Host Brian Sacks shares personal stories, insights, and practical advice drawn from decades of experience balancing these "middle" responsibilities. Each episode, tune in for inspiring interviews with industry leaders, insiders, and guests who share relatable stories and expert tips. Whether you're feeling the financial, emotional, or physical strain of being stuck in the middle, this podcast offers support, community, and practical solutions to help you thrive.


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Episodes
  • Mindfulness, Boundaries, and Family Communication with Lindsay Miller
    Apr 1 2025

    About Lindsay Miller: Lindsay Miller is a kids' mindfulness coach, educator, and host of The Stress Nanny Podcast, where she helps children develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-awareness in fun and engaging ways. With over 20 years of experience in child development and mindfulness education, she specializes in teaching practical tools that help kids manage stress, navigate challenges, and build confidence. Known for her suitcase tricks and playful laugh, she brings creativity and warmth to her coaching, making deep breathing and mindfulness exciting for young learners. Her insights have been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms, and publications, leaving a lasting impact on families and educators alike.


    In this episode, Brian and Lindsay Miller discuss:

    • Managing stress while balancing family responsibilities
    • The emotional and physical toll of life transitions
    • Mindfulness and stress management strategies
    • The impact of family dynamics on personal well-being


    Key Takeaways:

    • Acknowledging stress is the first step to managing it, and writing down all the people and responsibilities relying on you can bring much-needed clarity while reducing feelings of guilt or self-blame.
    • Setting firm boundaries and prioritizing responsibilities allows for a better balance, making it easier to focus on urgent family needs without feeling constantly overwhelmed or stretched too thin.
    • Holding regular family meetings, such as a Sunday night check-in, creates space for open communication, ensuring that everyone has the chance to voice their concerns and feel supported.
    • Prioritizing self-care is not selfish but necessary, as taking care of personal well-being improves both physical and mental health, making it easier to support and care for others more effectively.


    "Giving yourself permission to feel what you’re feeling, giving yourself permission to access the help that you need is a crucial part of keeping yourself afloat." — Lindsay Miller


    Connect with Lindsay Miller:

    Website: https://www.thestressnanny.com/

    Show: The Stress Nanny with Lindsay Miller: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stress-nanny-with-lindsay-miller/id1488383546

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-seil-miller-79a409149/

    Twitter: https://x.com/thestressnanny

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

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


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

    Sign up for your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER at www.stuckinthemiddlenews.com

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    24 mins
  • Understanding and Supporting Children with Unique Needs with Michelle Choairy
    Mar 18 2025

    About Michelle Choairy: Michelle Choairy is a dedicated advocate, speaker, and mentor for parents of complex children. As the founder of Collective Wisdom for Complex Kids, she helps families navigate healthcare, education, and support systems using strategies she developed while advocating for her son with TBR1 genetic disorder. A bilingual keynote speaker, she has collaborated with Apraxia Kids, March of Dimes, and Special Olympics, raising awareness and funds for special needs children. Through her work, Michelle provides parents with guidance, community, and the tools to become their child’s best advocate.


    In this episode, Brian and Michelle Choairy discuss:

    • Challenges of raising a child with a complex condition
    • Navigating healthcare, education, and insurance as an advocate
    • Accessing state-funded programs and disability resources
    • Balancing family life and emotional well-being


    Key Takeaways:

    • Parents of children with developmental differences often endure years of uncertainty and misdiagnoses, making it essential to trust their instincts and persistently push for deeper medical evaluations that could reveal rare conditions.
    • Successfully advocating for a child with complex needs requires navigating confusing healthcare systems, fighting for the right educational accommodations, and learning how to work through insurance policies and state-funded assistance programs.
    • While a formal diagnosis may not change the daily challenges a child faces, it can be the key to unlocking vital long-term resources, disability benefits, and specialized support programs that ensure care well beyond childhood.
    • Many parents struggle with guilt over their child’s condition, but recognizing that genetic disorders and other complex diagnoses are beyond their control can help them shift their focus from self-blame to proactive advocacy and support.


    "I'm my best success story, and that is what I want every mom to say, because that's what—that's what I'm going to prepare them to be. They're going to be their own success story." — Michelle Choairy


    Connect with Michelle Choairy:

    Website: https://wisdom4complexkids.com/ & https://michellechoairy.com/

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

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wisdom4complexkids/ & https://www.facebook.com/Choairym

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.choairy/


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

    Sign up for your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER at www.stuckinthemiddlenews.com

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    30 mins
  • Clarity or Chaos: Making the Ultimate Relationship Decision with Mike Fink
    Mar 4 2025

    About Mike Fink: Mike Fink is a clarity coach, author, and personal development expert with over two decades of experience and a Master of Science in Psychology from Yale University. He is the creator of The Decoding Grid™, a groundbreaking process that helps women struggling with the decision to divorce gain absolute clarity and confidence in just 30 days. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, he guides clients through structured decision-making to overcome fear, guilt, and uncertainty. Since 2021, he has been on a mission to help women break free from indecision and move forward with peace of mind. He is also the author of Divorce Decision Decoded: The Revolutionary Process for Women to Make the Right Decision with Confidence.


    In this episode, Brian and Mike Fink discuss:

    • Decision-making in relationships and marriage
    • The emotional and psychological toll of indecision
    • Understanding and defining essential relationship values
    • The importance of external guidance in complex life decisions


    Key Takeaways:

    • Your primal brain resists change because it perceives maintaining the current situation as the safest option, even if that situation is making you miserable.
    • Clarity about essential values helps individuals make confident choices about whether to stay or leave a relationship.
    • People must distinguish between “essential” and “optional” needs in a partner to determine if their relationship is sustainable.
    • Many people, especially women, stay in relationships believing their partner will eventually change, but long-term fundamental change is rare and unrealistic.


    "The first step to get clarity is to gather all the pieces of the puzzle—because if you're trying to solve a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle with only 200, well... that ain't gonna happen. Most people think they're considering all the relevant elements in their relationship, but they aren't." — Mike Fink

    Connect with Mike Fink:

    Website: https://www.getabsoluteclarity.com/

    Book: Divorce Decision Decoded: https://www.amazon.com/Divorce-Decision-Decoded-Revolutionary-Certainty/dp/1738345726/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-fink-get-absolute-clarity

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


    Host contact information: 

    • Email: briansacksnewsletters@gmail.com

    

    Sign up for your FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER at www.stuckinthemiddlenews.com

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    30 mins

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