Kitchen Chats with Aimee Kandrac Episode 9: Helping Friends Who Live Far Away
Release Date: 12/15/2022
Navigating the Quiet House: Empty Nests and Solo Living
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
This episode of Kitchen Chats features host Aimee Kandrac and her friend Shannon Cohen discussing the multifaceted experience of empty nesting and living alone. They share their personal journeys of navigating the transition as their children went off to college, highlighting the initial strangeness of a quieter house and the adjustment to new routines. The conversation touches on relatable topics such as the changed grocery shopping habits, the shift in knowing their children's whereabouts, and the challenge of moving from active parenting to a more supportive role. Aimee and Shannon also...
info_outline
Retreating after a major event
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
Host Aimee Kandrac and Dr. Samantha Franklin about the importance of allowing oneself to retreat after major life events. Here's a breakdown of the key themes and points discussed: Key Themes: The Validity of Retreating: The episode emphasizes that it's perfectly acceptable and often necessary to withdraw from social interactions after experiencing significant life changes. Dr. Franklin, a self-proclaimed introvert, explains how retreating provides comfort, control, and a space for emotional regulation. The hosts discuss how major life events can make individuals feel as though their lives...
info_outline
The Importance of Team
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
This conversation between Aimee and Charlie explores the importance of teamwork during major life transitions. Here's a summary of their discussion: Teamwork Beyond Sports: While the concept of a team is often associated with sports, they emphasize its relevance in navigating life's challenges. Just as a race car driver relies on a pit crew, individuals facing transitions need a support system. Defining Your Team: They discuss the different roles people play on your team, from close family and friends to professionals like doctors or therapists. The team can also include unexpected...
info_outline
The Multifaceted Nature of Grief
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
This podcast episode of Kitchen Chats explores the multifaceted nature of grief, emphasizing that it's not solely tied to death but arises from various life transitions like divorce, empty nesting, or even positive changes. Host Aimee Kandrac and guest, Ashley Parsons, discuss how the commonly referenced "five stages of grief" are often misapplied and can make people feel like they're grieving incorrectly. They highlight that grief and joy can coexist, and asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. The conversation offers practical advice for supporting someone grieving, stressing...
info_outline
The Emotional Toll of Moving
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
This conversation between two friends, Aimee and Kristi, delves into the emotional and practical aspects of moving. This conversation provides a comprehensive overview of the many facets of moving and offers practical advice for both those who are moving and those who want to support them. Emotional Attachment to Homes: They emphasize the strong emotional connections people have with their homes, filled with memories and personal significance. This makes moving a complex process, even when it's desired. The Difficulty of Purging: Letting go of possessions, especially when tied to loved ones...
info_outline
The complexities of divorce
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
This is a powerful conversation about the complexities of divorce and the importance of support systems. Here are some key takeaways: The Emotional Toll: Divorce is a deeply emotional experience, often involving grief, sadness, anger, and feelings of rejection. The Impact on Social Life: Navigating social interactions after separation can be challenging. People often feel the pressure to explain their situation while simultaneously wanting to protect their privacy. The Importance of Support: Friends and family play a crucial role in providing emotional support. Checking in regularly, offering...
info_outline
The First Person I Called
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
This is a fascinating conversation between two sisters! Here's a summary of their discussion: The Impact of Major Life Events: They delve into the emotional and practical challenges of navigating significant life transitions, such as a cancer diagnosis, divorce, and the subsequent emotional and social isolation. The Role of Support Systems: Stephanie emphasizes the importance of trusted confidantes and the delicate balance of offering support while respecting boundaries. They discuss the concept of "kitchen counter" vs. "sidewalk" relationships, highlighting the varying levels of intimacy and...
info_outline
Major Life Transitions
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
Kitchen Chats is a podcast where friends come together to support each other through major life transitions. This season, host Aimee Kandrac shares her own experiences with personal challenges, including: Empty nesting: Dealing with the emotional impact of her youngest child leaving for college. Health concerns: Discovering a potential tumor and undergoing surgery. Divorce: Unexpectedly separating from her husband. Moving: Selling her family home after the separation. Aimee emphasizes that while these events were incredibly difficult, she ultimately found healing and happiness with the...
info_outline
Kitchen Chats with Aimee Kandrac Episode 25: Live from the Maven Space with Rachel Macy Stafford
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
Live from the Maven Space in downtown Indianapolis, Aimee Kandrac reunites with Rachel Macy Stafford, best-selling author of Hands Free Mama, Only Love Today, Soul Shift, and more. Aimee and Rachel discuss the challenge of letting go of routine, especially during times of crisis. They also share touching words of encouragement from friends and neighbors, emphasize the importance of looking after yourself, and destigmatize asking for help. Episode Abridged Transcript Aimee: Welcome to Kitchen Chats. Today we are coming to you live from Maven Space in downtown Indianapolis. I am so honored to...
info_outline
Kitchen Chats with Aimee Kandrac Episode 24: Navigating Grief with Hope and Purpose
WhatFriendsDo: Kitchen Chats
In this poignant and heartfelt podcast episode, Aimee chats with Colin Campbell, author of Finding the Words: Working Through Profound Loss with Hope and Purpose. Colin, who experienced the tragic death of his two children, shares his personal journey. He also offers profound insights on navigating grief after profound loss and finding solace in community and traditions. Episode Highlights Share a heartfelt message. After the tragic death of his two children, Colin had many messages pouring into his inbox. One of the most memorable and heartwarming came from his son’s friend, who wrote how...
info_outlineKitchen Chats with Aimee Kandrac Episode 9: Helping Friends Who Live Far Away
You can’t always physically be there for someone when a life-changing event happens, so Aimee chats with Ali Cudby about how to help long-distance friends and family. Ali opens up about how she’s supported her family from a distance and navigated the complex emotions that sometimes come with being far away. She also shares how she remotely connects with friends for support when they can’t be at her kitchen counter.
Episode Highlights
Not being close to relatives comes with mixed emotions.
Ali moved from Washington, DC, to Boston around the time her mother’s health started to decline. The move came with mixed emotions, and since the COVID-19 pandemic, she doesn’t get to visit her mother as she used to. This has meant that Ali largely manages her Mom’s care remotely.
“For everything I do to support her, it also comes with a side dish of guilt that I’m not there doing it in person,” Ali said.
Hiring support can help when you’re not close by.
If you have the financial resources, hiring support can be a great way to aid family members you don’t live close to. For instance, hiring a dog walker can ensure a beloved pet gets adequate exercise and that someone is regularly checking in on your family member.
“You have the benefit of having another person coming in and checking on the human, but it’s also a nice neck and balance to make sure the dog is getting the care they need,” Ali said.
Your “kitchen counter” may be digital.
Many of Ali’s closest friends, the ones she calls during hard times, are all over the country, so she can’t sit down with them at her kitchen counter. But she can talk with her friends over the phone or through WhatsApp.
“It’s having those friends to talk to and be able to say the hard things that aren’t always the socially acceptable things, or the pretty things, or the things that you would ever put on any kind of social media,” Ali said.
Sometimes being further away can bring you closer.
Sometimes not always being in the same location as friends and family can make it easier for them to talk to you about sensitive topics. This is the case for Ali and her teenage niece and nephew.
“My niece and my nephew know that I’m family but also that they can talk to me,” Ali said. “Sometimes, it’s helpful to have that friend or that person to talk to who is a little bit outside the circle.”
Resources + Links
- Ali Cudby’s Socials: Twitter, LinkedIn
- Ali Cudby’s Websites: Alignment Growth Strategies, CXology
- Aimee Kandrac: Website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
- WhatFriendsDo: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
About Aimee and WhatFriendsDo
Aimee Kandrac is a speaker, consultant, and the co-founder and CEO of WhatFriendsDo. Her work is instrumental for organizing support during life-changing events, and she speaks to organizations about creative ways to help friends and family during times of crisis. Aimee has been recognized as a Top 50 Mompreneur by Babble.com and is the first female CEO in the state of Indiana to close a $500,000 funding round. She has been featured in Forbes, Time, the LA Times, Oprah.com, the Indianapolis Star, and more.
WhatFriendsDo is a simpler way to create organized and actionable support during a time of crisis. The free, online platform empowers healthcare facilities, HR departments, families, and friends to easily coordinate meals, errands, transportation, childcare, communication, and more for those in the midst of a life-changing event. The women-founded and women-led company started as a solution for a friend with terminal cancer. WhatFriendsDo is based out of Indianapolis.