Listen-in on Jen's conversation with Allison Breininger, a nonprofit founder based in St. Paul, Minnesota who is changing the way family caregivers are seen & supported, while caregiving for her husband who is living with the rare genetic disease Fanconi Anemia.

CONVERSATION MARKERS:

00:00 Introduction to Allison and her journey
00:43 Allison's nonprofit: The Negative Space
02:25 The evolution of Allison's career and nonprofit journey
05:51 The significance of caregiving and The Negative Space's mission
09:11 Allison's personal caregiving experience
14:31 The challenges and realities of caregiving
17:21 Sustaining The Negative Space amidst personal challenges
20:40 The intersection of entrepreneurship and caregiving
22:31 Navigating the complexities of caregiving and work
23:21 Hustle behind flexibility
23:42 The creative energy vs. exhaustion in caregiving
24:02 Exploring nonprofit challenges and personal growth
24:59 Facing the crossroads: growth or stability?
26:21 The visibility struggle of non-senior caregivers
29:01 The isolation and unpredictability of caregiving
32:27 Managing personal wellbeing amidst caregiving
37:19 Redefining work and life balance
42:07 Concluding thoughts on caregiving awareness

RESOURCES + LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE:

ABOUT ALLISON:

Allison Breininger has a MA in Education and spent twenty years teaching, training, directing, coaching, and creating content in the realm of education. At 31, she became a caregiver for her husband, Sean, when he was diagnosed with the rare genetic disease Fanconi Anemia. In the eleven years since, she has been by his side through a bone marrow transplant and cancer of the tongue, throat, gums, bladder, and skin.

In those years, she has experienced firsthand that caregivers are in the negative space: vital yet overlooked and unsupported. Fueled by what she has seen, Allison founded the nonprofit The Negative Space as a way to use her experience and skills to change the way caregivers are seen and supported.

Through The Negative Space, Allison shines light on the realities of caregiving, provides direct services to caregivers and educates and equips those who support them with concrete tools and strategies. She co-hosts the In Sickness podcast, provides individual coaching to caregivers nationwide, facilitates support groups and education sessions, partners with multiple organizations to more intentionally support caregivers, and sells caregiver gift boxes.

She and her husband, Sean, live in St. Paul, Minnesota with th...