Eighteen years ago, Jennifer’s world halted at the heavy words, “You have cancer.” At just 26, she faced a battle that would not only test her physical strength but also the resilience of her spirit. Today, she shares that chapter of her life with you—not to dwell on the hardships but to celebrate the journey from vulnerability to victory. 

Join Jennifer on this episode as she opens up about her cancer diagnosis, the emotional rollercoaster that followed, and the profound transformation that arose from choosing hope and positivity amidst the chaos. It’s an episode filled with raw truth and the undeniable power that comes from facing our deepest fears.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can help you start your new ultrasound business, or grow your existing one…

1. Download our free guide. It’s an incredible overview on the ins and outs of creating revenue for your ultrasound business. Grab it here.
2. Join our Ultrasound Business Academy Program and be a Case Study. We’ve got the blueprint for $20k/months (and beyond). Get strategic step-by-step help starting and growing your ultrasound business. No biz experience required. Learn more HERE.
3. Get personalized “best next steps”. And if you ever want to get some 1:1 help on your best next steps in starting or scaling your ultrasound business, fill out the questionnaire and we’ll chat through what to do next and how we might be able to help.

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Transcript:

00:03 – Jennifer Lindsey (Host)

Hey, sonographers, grab a seat and a cup of coffee. Welcome to Ultrasound Business School. I’m your host, Jennifer Lindsay. This is Talking Tech a sonographer’s guide to entrepreneurship. Hello, hello everyone. Welcome into today’s episode of the podcast. 

00:21

I am getting a little vulnerable. Today, my friends, I’ve got a special journey to share, and it’s a journey about turning our struggles into strengths. We’ll talk about those moments that test us, we all have them, and the incredible power of positivity and support in transforming our lives for the better. So I’m diving right in. 18 years ago, I was standing at a crossroads that would literally redefine the course of my life. At 26, I was diagnosed with cancer, and hearing the words you have cancer is something I will never forget. They’re words that have the power to absolutely bring your entire world to a standstill, and in that moment when I heard those words, mine absolutely did. The days that followed were just a blur of emotions fear, anger, why me right? A definite sense of vulnerability. But you know, amidst all of the appointments, treatments, the daunting road ahead, I made a promise to myself. I promised to face this challenge head on, to allow myself to feel all of those raw emotions because there were so many, but also to never lose sight of hope and positivity. It was definitely a journey with lots of ups and downs surgeries, battles with fertility, little shout out to my sweet little six-year-old he is definitely my miracle baby, and it’s a journey that really taught me the true meaning of resilience. And here’s the thing. Through it all, the unwavering support of my family and friends, the strength that I was able to draw from moments of prayer and reflection, and the decision to embrace a mindset of victory rather than victimhood, transformed what was arguably, you know, the most challenging period of my life into one of incredible personal growth. So today, 18 years later, I’m not just a cancer survivor. I am a testament to the power of positivity and the strength that we can draw from that. That’s what today’s episode is all about. So, whether you are facing a health crisis, a personal loss, really any hurdle that just right now seems insurmountable, there is a path forward, and it’s paved with hope. It’s paved with resilience and the support of those around us. So let’s dive into. 

03:06

The first part of our journey is really acknowledging our struggles. Right, I am one of those people that likes to just push things down. Right, it’s about facing the reality of our situation and really allowing ourselves to fully experience our emotions, but not letting those emotions define us. Don’t let the emotions define us. I want to ask you when was the last time you faced something that really tested you, and how did you initially react? Right, I remember feeling like I was in a free fall, for lack of a better word. Right? Here’s the crucial part, though. Allowing myself to fully experience those emotions was the first step in overcoming them. I didn’t push them down. I didn’t say you’re going to be fine. I really let myself feel the fear, the anger, the why me? Right? And then I want to move on now to arguably one of the most transformative parts of our journey is shifting, then, that mindset that I had from victim to victor, right from victim to victor. It’s about that moment when you decide that you are not going to let your struggles define you. Think about if you’ve ever experienced a moment when that shift in mindset just drastically changed your situation. I can honestly remember a multitude of times that this has happened to me during my life in moments of difficulty. But we have to do that consciously. Our mind likes to stay in those negative mindsets. We have to purposefully shift our mindset into the positive. 

04:52

Here is a simple but powerful practice for cultivating positivity, and it’s starting each day by jotting down at least one thing. I suggest more, I suggest having a list of three to five, but one thing that you’re grateful for, and I know it might sound so small, but it honestly can shift your entire perspective for the day. So here’s your homework for the day. Right Tomorrow morning, I want you to write down at least one thing that makes you feel grateful or thankful. It could be as simple as a sunny morning, a cup of your favorite coffee, whatever it is, and one of the things I’d love to suggest is grabbing, it’s called a five minute journal. If you’re watching on YouTube, I’m showing you right now. You can grab it from Amazon. I highly recommend. Five minute journal is amazing. It’s very quick. It takes about five minutes, and I start nearly every single morning with it. I absolutely love it. It’s a great way to just jot down your quick feelings, what would make the day great, and those things that you are thankful and grateful for. 

05:53

Now let’s talk about the role of support, because we are not islands, right? Humans thrive on connection and community, so, whether it’s family, friends or a group that just shares your experiences that you’re going through. These are the people who help us weather the storm, because we all have our own storm, right? I was just talking with a friend about this the other day. She’s never had cancer, but things she’s gone through in her life I’ve never gone through, right? We all have our struggles, our own individual struggles, and they’re all the struggle for us, right? They’re the thing that we’re currently going through or that we’ve gone through in the past, and so, while they’re all different, everyone has those times that are tough, and so a question for you is who has been your rock during tough times, and have you taken a moment to tell them just how much they mean to you? This was the conversation I had with my friend, Heather. Right, we were talking about just some of the difficulties she’s experiencing right now, and we were talking about the fact that having that friend that you can really share these vulnerable times with is so important, and being the rock for someone else is incredible, and then having someone to be the rock for you when you need it is just absolutely amazing. 

07:20

Now, one of my character flaws is keeping things in, and my friends always remind me of this. But I realized really during that time in my life that being vulnerable was okay, and it was so cathartic for me to be able to share those feelings, those difficulties you know, with someone who could really just be there to support me. So I want to challenge you, reach out to someone you trust, share something you’re struggling with, ask for their support or advice, or even just to listen. Sometimes all we need is just an ear to listen and say, yeah, it’s awful, I’m here for you, right? It’s a simple act that can make a world of difference when you’re going through something hard. So, as we wrap up today’s episode, let’s remember it is not our struggles that define us, but it’s how we choose to face them. Embrace a mindset of triumph, lean on your support network and never forget the power of positivity and the strength of community that can carry us really through anything. 

08:23

I want to thank you so much for joining me today on Talking Tech. If today’s episode moved you, inspired you, made you think, I’d love to hear your stories and reflections. Come share them with me over on our socials or shoot us an email. Stay tuned for our next episode and until then, remember we are stronger than we think, and together we literally can overcome anything. So keep looking for the light, even on the darkest days, and remember the best is yet to come. Thank you so much for tuning into today’s episode. If you enjoyed the information, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and help us reach other sonographers by leaving us a review. We truly appreciate it and until next time I’m over here cheering you on.