Plan Simple with Mia Moran Mia Moran

I used to find that I would have a strong idea of what summer “should” feel like. Then there was the reality of juggling work, family and summer. This summer the I decided to think about it differently. This episode is a piece of that.

“People need tools to help them put together a plan to care for their loved one. They also need to get really good at asking for help.”
–Sammie Stephens
We’re not prepared to become the family caregiver for our parents. Yet so many of us are thrust into that role. How can we be more prepared? How do we handle this challenge?
Sammie Stephens, an adult-geriatric nurse practitioner, who works with caretakers and has experienced that role herself, says it starts with conversations we aren’t good at having. Often these happen as a result of an event, like someone breaking a hip.
Caretakers need to set boundaries around their time and what they can do, especially because they are often juggle so many other things, including children, businesses and more. But often, what they need first, is a plan. Sammie helps us navigate both in this conversation.
We talk about: 
what you need to have in place legally to be able to get medical information to advocate for your loved oneusing tools like CaringBridge to communicate what is going on and how people can helptaking care of your own health/body and using available resources so that the burden is not all on youplanning and budgeting for the cost of careadvance care planning and understanding what your loved one wantssetting boundaries, assessing needs, and building in self-care
ABOUT SAMMIE
Sammie Stephens is an Adult-Geriatric Nurse Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in
both the clinical and administrative side of healthcare. She has a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from New Mexico State University. She is also a graduate of the Real Balance Global Wellness Coach training program.
In 2015, Sammie established a health coaching program for a Level II Trauma hospital in
Wyoming. The program aimed to improve health and decrease burnout risk for employees. The
following year, she played a key role in developing an integrative health clinic at the same
hospital. The clinic focused on helping community members reduce the risk of heart disease,
diabetes, and stroke.
More recently, she served as a Nurse Practitioner for seniors, providing compassionate care to
patients in various locations including skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and
private residences. In 2022, Sammie started Vivac Health to help family caregivers understand
and navigate the healthcare system so their loved ones can get the care they need.
LINKS
https://vivachealth.com/about/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammiestephens/
Navigating Your Life and Caring for Aging Parents  with Courtney Nalty
Unsharing with Kamini Woods
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Sometimes we don’t act because we’re emotionally stuck or because the change seems so huge. Change comes from action. Even a little shift can make a difference, especially when you keep making those micro shifts. 
Choose one of these doable changes that piques your interest or resonates with where you are — and roll with it. 
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
DEFINE BOUNDARIES. Think about where you are in your life right now. What other responsibilities do you have? How is your own health?...

“Don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it's paid help or friendly help, ask for help.”
–Courtney Nalty
Are aging parents one of the things you’re balancing right now? Or maybe you see coming? So many people in FLOW365 are balancing caring for parents along with kids, their own health, their business ... and it’s hard. Courtney Nalty wants to make it easier.
Courtney Nalty, is the founder of Generational Support and the creator of The Caregiver Toolbox, which helps people get ready for something a lot of us don’t want to think about — caring for our parents. We’ll talk about ways to prepare to make it more easeful — and things you can do if you are already in the thick of it.
If you google aging in place on, you're going to be inundated with ideas and solutions. Getting advice from somebody who has done the research already, who can guide you, can smooth the way. Then a really important place to start is with what your parents want.
We talk about: 
How elder law attorneys can help you, having power of attorney before an emergency and having copies of the paperworkSafe house checks and medication managementStarting conversations about what your parents want by talking about what you would like later in lifeSpecific challenges related to a hospital dischargeKnowing who to talk to when it comes to bank accounts, stuff, homes, and moreDealing with dementia
ABOUT COURTNEY
Courtney Nalty is a daughter, wife, and a mother of three. She gets the need to find time for everyone and give the best support to all. Courtney spent 11 years working in a retirement community in many different roles. She  also helped care for her father when he was fighting cancer. Courtney knows caregiving takes time, research, education, and even a little trial and error, and she’s here to make life easier for others navigating generational support in the 21st century. She’s the creator or The Caregiver Toolbox, which helps people gain knowledge and confidence while reducing stress in caring for a loved one. 
LINKS
https://generationalsupport.com/The Caregiver Toolbox
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Sometimes we don’t act because we’re emotionally stuck or because the change seems so huge. Change comes from action. Even a little shift can make a difference, especially when you keep making those micro shifts. 
Choose one of these doable changes that piques your interest or resonates with where you are — and roll with it. 
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
START THE CONVERSATION. One of the first steps is finding out what your parents want. You can ask directly, but if your parents are reluctant to talk, try one of these techniques: Using a checklist or workbook — try just leaving it on the table and seeing if they start filling it in or talking — is one way to get started. Another entry to these conversations is talking about your own wishes for your late / end of life. Remember, this isn’t a one and done conversation.GET ORGANIZED. Do your parents have power of attorney, living wills, and final wills in place? Do you have copies of them or know how to access them? Do you know your parents’ accounts and passwords? Do you know their doctors, health conditions, medications? You don’t have to gather everything at once, but it can be helpful to start collecting this information if your

“Not only are you putting good into the world, but it feels good too.” –Jenn Klein
Are you an overgiver? Women can get into a position of over giving or giving in a depleting way. How can we navigate giving in a better way? I’m talking with Jenn Klein about the benefits of generosity and volunteering — and how to make that a rewarding part of a busy life.
We talk about the helper’s high and the health benefits of giving. We also look at volunteering as a couple or a family. Jenn reminds us that volunteering can be a form of self-care, a way to fill your cup, not drain it.
We talk about: 
The boomerang nature of givingWorking with organizations and being intentional about putting kindness into the worldGiving three ways — time, treasure, talent
ABOUT JENN
Jenn Klein is a world-class and highly respected nonprofit fundraiser, author of the book Giving Is Selfish, speaker, coach and a proud mother of two boys.
For more than 18 years, Jenn has helped nonprofits grow through best fundraising practices and strategies. Jenn also coaches individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices, which, at their core, include giving to charity.
Jenn is on a mission to share the benefits of generosity, not just for others but also for yourself and our world.
LINKS
Website: https://youareaphilanthropist.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jennklein/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youareaphilanthropist/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennkleincoach/
DOABLE CHANGES
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
ASSESS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT GIVING. Sometimes we get on a board or volunteer for an event and start to feel drained instead of filled. It might be the wrong work or the wrong time in your life. Get clear on how your volunteer hours make you feel — which things excite or energize you? Which do you dread? Knowing this can lead to change.DECIDE WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER. You can give your time, your talents, or your treasure. What do you have to offer? How can it serve a cause you feel passionate about?PUT KINDNESS INTO THE WORLD. Maybe this isn’t a time in your life when you have a lot of time to give. You can still put kindness into the world without a formal or ongoing volunteer gig. Offer smiles or compliments. Send a thank you note. Hold a door. Offer to help a neighbor with a task you see them struggling with. Try building a little more kindness into your day.

“You have to market twice as much as you think you do, which is why simplifying really is important.”
–Christine McShane
Tired of feeling frenzied and behind on marketing and sales? Copywriter and content marketing strategist Christine McShane is going to help us make a summer content plan so we can stay calm and sane all while connecting with and selling to our people.
You don’t have to be an annoying telemarketer. You don’t have to send spammy emails. You do have to market your business. That starts with getting back to basics and getting really clear on who you serve, what they need, and how you help.
You don’t have to do it all. You shouldn’t do it all — that’s a route to burn out. Christine suggests choosing three channels and explains how to choose based on your business model.
We talk about: 
What gets in our way when it comes to marketing and how to shift our mindsetDecision fatigue and how to make good decisions less oftenUnderstanding the seasons of your business and of your client businesses and how to scale back in the summerRepurposing popular contentNoticing what you open and like to read, thinking about what people want when you show up in their inboxWays to actually get it done.
ABOUT CHRISTINE
Christine McShane is a copywriter and content marketing strategist that believes just like great cooking, you’ll get the best results with simple and high quality ingredients.  If you’re a mission driven personal brand, marketing can feel exhausting or confusing. But the best part is that you’ll get the best results if you show up as yourself.  
Christine creates content strategies for service based professionals and even writes the content for them. She also writes their website copy and sales funnel copy to have genuine and effective conversations with dream clients.
LINKS
christinemcshane.comPower of 3 Content Marketing training
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life. 
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
GET BACK TO BASICS. Ask yourself and get really clear on: What am I trying to accomplish in my business? Who am I trying to serve? Why am I different? How do I get in front of those people that I want to serve and show them how I'm different and show them how I can make their lives better, whether it's solving a pain point in their lives or bringing them some joy or helping them achieve a dream or a combination of the three.CHOOSE YOUR CHANNELS. Where will you show up? Choose three channels: email, podcast, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, FB group or other networking space … You don’t have to be everywhere. Choose places you like to be. Choose places where your ideal clients or customers spend time.NOTICE WHAT YOU CONSUME. Which emails do you always open? What podcast do you never miss? Whose content do you love? While you will have your own topics, your own voice, and your own rhythm, you can learn from what engages you. It’s also a good reminder to help you get out of the mindset that people will get tired of hearing from you or that marketing is always

As you may have heard, May was my birthday month, and I have a habit of celebrating my birthday month. On this minisode, I talk through what happened, what did not, and what I learned along the way. May was nothing like what I planned, and it far exceeded my expectations!