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:

• In Sickness podcast
• The Negative Space
• Enneagram

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 their teenage daughter, Bedeline.

CONNECT WITH ALLISON:

• LinkedIn
• The Negative Space
• The Negative Space on Facebook
• The Negative Space on Instagram
• The Negative Space on LinkedIn
• In Sickness podcast

To connect with Jen or learn more, visit