Amri Kibbler the Co-founder & Chief Community Officer of HeyMama is here to inspire and motivate us in this Dangerous Woman Interview Series. HeyMama is THE Community for Moms in Business. This community provides support, connection, and collaboration for working mothers, advisors, executives, founders, builders, and makers.
Being an entrepreneur has always been very important to Amri. She had a very business and success-driven mindset until she began having health issues. At the beginning of 2020, she began having symptoms and feeling unwell. Amri and her family had recently moved, and finding any doctor to see her was almost impossible.
She had always been healthy, but struggled with the healthcare system as she struggled for answers. After a lot of effort and trial and error, she received a diagnosis a year later, and this is where the healthcare struggle really began. Amri shares how a diagnosis and battle with colon cancer changed her priorities and the way she thinks about what truly matters.
Episode Highlights:
[01:51] Amri was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2020.
[02:01] Prior to her diagnosis, she was completely in an entrepreneurial mindset. She also had a lot of anxiety and fear.
[03:46] She spent 10 months during the pandemic being misdiagnosed and being told nothing was wrong.
[04:21] At the beginning of the pandemic, Amri started having a lot of symptoms and not feeling well. It didn't really compute that something could be wrong with her.
[05:08] Amri shares her struggles with getting medical care at the beginning of the Pandemic. She was concerned about her productivity and didn't realize she might have a real issue.
[07:43] Once she got in to see her old doctor, he couldn't find anything wrong with her. She found another doctor and the same thing happened, but he did suggest a colonoscopy.
[08:17] Amri shares her struggles of navigating the US healthcare system when she's not feeling 100%.
[09:36] Amri shares how she felt when she finally received her diagnosis of colon cancer a year later.
[10:15] The news was a total shock. Colon cancer wasn't for her. She was completely frozen. She was overwhelmed with all of the decisions that she had to make.
[12:42] Amri had to reframe what she was doing depending on how she was feeling. She then had to break the news of her diagnosis with her kids. She had chemo and radiation in 2021. She just had surgery at the beginning of the year.
[15:06] We learn about the impact on her family and team.
[18:41] Amri shares some of the things that weren't helpful from her friends and family during treatment.
[19:36] We learn how she was able to maintain balance and work. Meditation helped her a lot while she was healing. Active healing was her number one goal.
[21:56] Amri had to pull herself up and manage her emotions to thrive.
[23:15] Prioritizing herself helped Amri also prioritize her family and the important relationships in life.
[24:15] We learn why Amri decided to share her story. She wants to raise awareness and share her story and resources.
[25:45] She used to define herself as an accomplished entrepreneur. Now she is defined by her own purpose.
[26:21] Focusing on the small things will bring us joy and happiness. Having small special moments with your children will create a deeper relationship with them. Paying attention to the small things make sure a more thoughtful and supportive partner.
[28:07] Amri is excited about starting a podcast about moms with cancer. She wants to share women's stories and help other moms who are going through this.
Links and Resources:
The Dangerous Woman Mastermind
Dr. Krystal Conner
Dr. Krystal Conner Instagram
How to Be a Dangerous Woman Facebook Group
Dangerous Woman Manifesto
HeyMama Community Membership
Amri Kibbler
Amri Kibbler Instagram
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