Squeezed with Yvette Nicole Brown

What does life look like after caregiving ends? Chris Punsalan spent his 20s caring for his aging grandmother, and sharing the story on social media, where he grew a huge following. When she died in 2024, he had to figure out who he was without his grandma in his life. Now, Chris is reflecting on what caregiving has given him, and working his first full-time job at Tendercare, an organization that supports caregivers.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

What does it mean to be a caregiver? Even though we’ll all give or receive care at some point, the answer looks different for everyone: it’s buying a house with your best friend and raising your kids together after a divorce. Helping your grandma take an “everything shower” each week. Delivering essentials to immigrant families in Minneapolis. Host Yvette Nicole Brown is back to explore these stories and more from everyday caregivers across the country in Season 3 of Squeezed. From Lemonada Media and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, coming October 28.

We're sharing a special episode of Happier with Gretchen Rubin, featuring our own fabulous Yvette Nicole Brown. In this Roundtable Conversation, Yvette joins Gretchen, podcaster Courtney Martin, and AARP’s senior director of caregiving Rita Choula to talk about the challenges and satisfactions of caregiving, and how planning can help.

This week, we're sharing a great discussion from Yvette's recent interview on Dr. Sharon Malone’s podcast, The Second Opinion. On Dr. Sharon’s show, women take back the conversation on health with straight talk, real experience, and the care we all deserve. You’ll hear prominent female advocates, experts and patients just like you sharing how they confronted gaps in our healthcare system and got second opinions that saved their lives. Dr. Sharon tackles the questions and topics we’ve been conditioned to ignore — the ones we search for at 3 a.m. but never bring up at the doctor’s office. From dismissed symptoms to systemic failures, she pulls back the curtain on what’s really going on in women’s health and gives women the tools to advocate for themselves and each other.

In this episode, Yvette shares personal details of caregiving for her dad for almost a decade, and peel back the layers of emotional challenges that come with caregiving and the current caregiving crisis in America. Plus, Dr. Sharon notes the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia and gives insights on Alzheimer symptoms.

Find more episodes of The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon Malone at https://link.mgln.ai/yvette

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Actor Brandee Evans is no stranger to balancing multiple roles – on screen and off. In this episode, the P-Valley star gets real about the challenges of caregiving while building her career in Hollywood. During filming season one of the hit series, Brandee was balancing a demanding schedule on set, while caring for her mom Diana, who has multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. In this frank and revealing conversation, Brandee shares how she navigates it all, and what she's learned along the way.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

80 million Americans depend on Medicaid. It’s the country’s number one healthcare provider – and it's now facing massive cuts that will hit women, immigrants and communities of color the hardest. Here to break down what it all means is Ai-jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Executive Director of Caring Across Generations. Despite the challenges ahead, Ai-jen is leading the fight to support caregivers through storytelling, putting pressure on lawmakers, and talking about how we all benefit from Medicaid.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juggling a demanding career and a young family is already overwhelming. But what happens when you add caring for an estranged parent to the equation? That’s exactly what happened to podcaster and author Jonathan Hirsch when his father Thomas was diagnosed with dementia. Jonathan’s parents raised him in a cult, and were largely absent from his life growing up. Now, he’s had to navigate the logistics, guilt, and grief that comes with caring for someone who never truly cared for you.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

For a deeper dive into Jonathan’s story, check out his new book, The Mind is Burning: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia

Check out AARP’s Caregiving Checklist for help choosing an assisted living facility.

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When Tara Kovach was diagnosed with colon cancer at 47, her already squeezed life as a working, divorced mom of two kids was turned upside down. Suddenly, the everyday struggles of balancing work with parenting were overshadowed by the stark reality of fighting cancer. In this episode, Tara opens up about the emotional and physical toll of going through surgery and chemotherapy while caring for her children, and the unexpected isolation she felt as a cancer survivor.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Lauren Miller Rogen's mother Adele was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she and her husband Seth Rogen didn't just become caregivers – they also became advocates, using their platform to shine a light on a disease that affects millions of families. Through their foundation Hilarity for Charity, they’re creating community and supporting other families navigating care for Alzheimer’s.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Learn more about Lauren and Seth’s advocacy and support their mission at http://wearehfc.org

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For the season premiere of Squeezed, host Yvette Nicole Brown reunites with Lemonada co-founder and mom of two Stephanie Wittels Wachs. The last time they spoke, both were navigating the challenges of caring for their fathers – Steph’s dad in an assisted living facility and Yvette’s dad living at home with her. Now, more than a year later, Yvette’s dad is in a full-time care facility and Steph’s dad has passed away. In this poignant episode, they explore a very crucial part of caregiving: end of life. It’s a conversation that’s raw, real and, ultimately, healing.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you’re young or old, in the sandwich generation or facing your own health challenges, one thing is certain: we will all need care at some point in our lives. From fighting back against Medicaid cuts to sitting beside a loved one in their final days, host Yvette Nicole Brown explores how we're all squeezed by the realities of caring for each other. Season 2 of Squeezed from Lemonada Media and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Coming September 24.

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Join Yvette for a special bonus episode of Squeezed as she sits down with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. Throughout the series, Yvette has heard from caregivers across the country, sharing their joys and challenges. Now, it's time to bring lawmakers into the conversation. Secretary Becerra, who has called caregiving "an urgent public health issue," discusses what he's doing to prioritize care in government — and how his own caregiving experiences have shaped his perspective.

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us athttps://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go tohttp://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alua is squeezed. She’s a renowned death doula, author, and educator who believes that living fully requires all of us to face mortality head-on. Whether it’s providing support at the bedside or making end-of-life-plans well in advance, Alua works with clients at every stage of life to embrace the inevitable with heart and humor. Death can be scary, but doulas like Alua are revolutionizing end-of-life-care by teaching us how to live more presently… so we can die peacefully.

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us athttps://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go tohttp://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Guthrie is squeezed. A decade ago, at 26 years old, Jessica unexpectedly became a caregiver for her mom, Constance, who is now living with late-stage Alzheimer’s. Over the years, Jessica has left behind a life in Texas, moved back home to Virginia, and quit her job to focus on caregiving full-time. While so much of her life is on hold, Jessica has gained a lot and found a powerful community of caregivers online.

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

No one should face Alzheimer’s or dementia alone. The Alzheimer’s Association is there to help. The Association has a free 24/7 Helpline – available day or night – and a robust website with education and support services. Call the Association’s Helpline at 1-800-272-3900 or visit its website at http://alz.org/

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us athttps://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go tohttp://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sadé is squeezed. Five years ago, she became a first-time parent. She expected her parents to help her out with the day-to-day work. But a series of unforeseen diagnoses left Sadé in an all-hands-on-deck caregiver situation – taking care of a new baby and her aging parents. Sadé is the family’s “Goddess of Efficiency,” and while she’s busy caring for everyone else, her own debilitating health needs often end up in last place.

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us athttps://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go tohttp://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shilpa is squeezed. She’s a mom to one son and also runs CARES, a world-class therapeutic school and rehabilitation program for vulnerable teens at Mount Sinai Morningside, a hospital located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. She supports young people on the rocky road from childhood to adulthood. But caregiving at home and at work while also caring for herself is a constant balancing act.

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us athttps://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go tohttp://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt is squeezed. The native Londoner is a single dad co-parenting 11-year-old triplets with his ex-husband in one of the most expensive cities in the world: New York. To be able to afford childcare for all three, Matt had to make a tough choice – job security or spending enough time with his kids?

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us athttps://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go tohttp://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephanie Wittels Wachs is squeezed. She is the co-founder of Lemonada Media, a mom of two and a primary caregiver for her dad, who has Parkinson's. On the surface, Stephanie manages her kids’ extracurriculars, visits to her dad's care facility, work meetings, hikes with her husband and never-ending grocery store trips. But on the inside, she’s sinking into quicksand.

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us athttps://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go tohttp://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica is squeezed. She’s a stay-at-home mom with three kids under six. Jessica is a former daycare worker who didn’t plan to be a full-time mom, but since money is tight and childcare is expensive, she has no other choice. Jessica fell through the cracks of our system that does not support care workers — but she’s discovered profound meaning in her life as a stay-at-home mom and is using this time to break generational cycles.

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Field production by Beth Wallis. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Special thanks to early childhood nonprofit, Zero to Three, for their help on this episode.

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us athttps://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go tohttp://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In America, caring is hard work. So many of us are caught up in the challenges of providing care and love across generations, all while juggling the demands of work and family, navigating a system that wasn’t designed with care and love in mind. Yvette Nicole Brown shares her own story of unexpectedly stepping into the role of caregiver 11 years ago, exploring what caregiving looks like at every stage of life.

Squeezed, a new series by Lemonada Media, created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Episodes 1 and 2 are out August 21.

See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.