Emma Heming Willis On Bruce Willis's Diagnosis, Protecting Your Brain Health, & What Every Family Needs To Know About Caregiving

15 Jun 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 30 chapters

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In short

Emma Heming Willis discusses her family’s caregiving experience and brain health, focusing on Bruce Willis’s diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), how families should prepare for caregiving, and practical “brain health” pillars like sleep, exercise, nutrition, social connection, and mental stimulation.

Guest background

Emma Heming Willis is a wife, mother of two, stepmother of three, author, and care partner. She wrote a book aimed at caregivers and advocates for cognitive wellness and caregiver support. She also co-founded Make Time Wellness.

Key claims

  • FTD is different from Alzheimer’s: it typically affects language, behavior, or movement, not memory.
  • Caregiving is “ambiguous loss” (grieving someone who is physically present but mentally/emotionally changed).
  • Caregivers are often unsupported and should not do it alone; community and support groups matter.
  • Brain health pillars include sleep, exercise, diet (e.g., Mediterranean-style), limiting alcohol/sugar, and real social connection (not just Instagram).

Notable examples

  • Bruce’s FTD variant affected language (including a childhood stutter returning).
  • Their kids learned FTD via an acronym (“Fantastic Turtles Dancing”).
  • She cites misdiagnosis patterns (e.g., bipolar or midlife crisis) delaying correct treatment and trial access.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Emma's Vulnerable Journey

0:46 to 3:19

Emma discusses her coping mechanism and the isolation she felt as a caregiver.

“One of the things that I find fascinating about you, Emma, is that a lot of people go through something really hard and then they wait till they're through it to talk about it.”

Understanding Frontotemporal Dementia

3:20 to 5:32

Emma explains frontotemporal dementia (FTD), its effects, and common misconceptions.

“is to be like a couple steps ahead so I can really understand the disease, understand what we're up against, understand what could happen, might happen, and just be prepared for that.”

Experiencing Grief While Caring

5:33 to 7:18

Emma articulates the concept of ambiguous loss and continuous grief in caregiving.

“But yeah, it's different to Alzheimer's.”

Causes and Awareness of FTD

7:19 to 8:05

Discussion on the causes of FTD and the awareness of the condition among caregivers.

“What are the main causes of FTD if we know or do we know?”

Parenting While Caregiving

8:06 to 10:27

Emma shares tips on how to communicate FTD to children in an age-appropriate way.

“And there's a term called anasygnosia, where your brain does not allow you to compute what is happening.”

Self-Care for Caregivers

10:28 to 12:33

Exploration of the importance of self-care and managing guilt as a caregiver.

“Like they go to sleep during the day, a lot of them.”

Advice for Future Caregivers

12:34 to 14:01

Emma provides insights on approaching caregiving as a shared responsibility.

“And we know as moms, I mean, I used to be a great sleeper and then I became a mom and then you hear one little noise and you're, you know, you're up.”

The Importance of Community in Caregiving

14:01 to 14:59

Learn why asking for help and building a support network is vital for caregivers.

“So I was like, well, then you sleep because I'm not going to, you know.”

Finding Your Community of Support

15:00 to 16:18

Discover how openness about caregiving can lead to invaluable support from others.

“be able to bring in help, talk to our community, our family, our friends, sort of rally that idea of community that we have lost complete touch of, I think, and be able to bring in support because we can't do this alone.”

Navigating Bruce's Diagnosis: FTD Awareness

16:19 to 17:46

Understand the significance of early diagnosis for frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

“Is his profile helpful or harmful in this situation?”
Show all 30 chapters

Early Signs and Symptoms of FTD

17:47 to 19:06

Learn about the symptoms of FTD and the importance of recognizing changes in behavior.

“He had a severe stutter as a child and that started to come back.”

The Emotional Toll of Caregiving

19:07 to 21:56

Explore the emotional challenges caregivers face and the importance of self-care.

“you know, because of, you've talked about it or because I read your book, I realized that, oh my God, maybe this is a form of dementia.”

Creating Boundaries and Protecting Yourself

21:57 to 23:04

Learn effective strategies for managing emotional energy and setting boundaries as a caregiver.

“And, you know, if we're leaving like that, imagine everyone else.”

Empathy and Trauma: The Caregiver's Burden

23:05 to 25:58

Delve into the complexities of empathy in caregiving and the potential for emotional fatigue.

“But I do have to be mindful to not allow.”

Finding Meaning in Difficult Experiences

25:59 to 28:00

Understand how challenging life experiences can provide perspective and strength.

“her something that I thought was a big deal.”

Navigating Family Challenges

28:00 to 29:14

Discover how to handle difficult family situations with resilience and love.

“this is a hard situation that we are navigating, I do always think that it could be much worse.”

Journey to Brain Health Supplements

29:14 to 30:36

Learn about the inspiration behind creating wellness products for brain health.

“And did you become inspired to launch Brain Health Supplements because of Bruce's journey and your experience?”

Women and Alzheimer's Risk

30:36 to 31:29

Understand the higher risk of Alzheimer's in women and the importance of tailored health solutions.

“speaking to all these incredible neurologists and people within the brain health space has really, yeah, in a way influenced more of what we do at Make Time.”

Simplifying Brain Health Education

31:29 to 33:52

Explore strategies for educating women about brain health in an accessible way.

“And no one was talking to women about their brain health.”

Simplifying Brain Health Education

36:16 to 37:34

Explore strategies for educating women about brain health in an accessible way.

“They were destroyed beyond the point where we could even donate them.”

Simplifying Brain Health Education

37:39 to 38:59

Explore strategies for educating women about brain health in an accessible way.

“I felt like after my first baby, I was shedding.”

Teaching Life Lessons to Daughters

39:12 to 42:05

Explore the important lessons and resilience to instill in young girls.

“And I think that they, they learn from that.”

The Impact of Technology on Social Connection

42:05 to 46:46

Exploration of how technology affects social interactions and brain health.

“And it's weird because like, you know, when I grew up, it's like you have to sit with someone, you have to look them in the eyes, you have to put things away, you have to be present, you have to be at the dinner table.”

Caregiving Responsibilities

46:46 to 48:40

Discussion on the challenges and responsibilities faced by caregivers.

“Like walk us through like things that we wouldn't think about.”

Planning for Future Care

48:40 to 50:39

Advice on how families should prepare for potential caregiving situations.

“Now that you've said this and as I'm thinking about it, from a family planning perspective, are there things that you would tell people to look into or do before?”

The Role of Nicotine in Focus

56:00 to 57:00

Learn about how nicotine can be a tool for maintaining focus and productivity.

“So like I said earlier, obviously you have to be responsible with nicotine, but it's also a tool to stay sharp and focus.”

The Role of Nicotine in Focus

57:05 to 58:47

Learn about how nicotine can be a tool for maintaining focus and productivity.

“I designed every single aspect of this kit with the P-Volv team, and it is gorgeous, as you can see.”

The Role of Nicotine in Focus

58:49 to 59:02

Learn about how nicotine can be a tool for maintaining focus and productivity.

“Because like I said, once it's gone, it's gone.”

Understanding Caregiving Challenges

59:02 to 1:00:56

Explore the emotional and practical aspects of caregiving for someone with dementia.

“Are you actively caregiving every single day?”

Advocating for Brain Health

1:00:56 to 1:02:08

Learn about the importance of brain health supplements and their accessibility.

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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:01Emma Heming Willis:Welcome to the Bosticks, starring Lauren Bostick and Michael Bostick. Together, they are the Bosticks.

0:14This episode is giving you the blueprint on caregiving and all things brain health. We invited Emma Heming Willis on the show to talk about cognitive wellness, essential brain health tools, and she even opened up about her own caregiving journey with her husband, Bruce. Emma is a wife, a mother of two, a stepmother of three, and she is an author and a care partner. She is so vulnerable on this episode, which is very personal, and I just commend her for coming on the show and being so candid. Emma, welcome to the Bostics. One of the things that I find fascinating about you, Emma, is that a lot of people go through something really hard and then they wait till they're through it to talk about it.

0:59And what's so cool about your whole thing is that you're kind of showing us in real time what it's like. I guess so. I actually never really thought about that. I think it's been a coping mechanism for me, being able to have an experience and also be able to share it at the same time. You know, like not gatekeeping what I have learned, what I know, and being able to share it with another caregiver who, you know, might not have access, time, resources. It's really important to be able to, for me to pay it forward, to pass on the information, because caregivers are so unsupported. We're so unsupported.

1:44And that's what, you know, prompted that book that I wrote. What was the thing that sort of pushed you to put this all out there? Would you remember like a moment? Was it an epiphany or was it just a slow build? You know, there was so much time that was spent in isolation. Yeah. Being really quiet about it, not having a community, not feeling safe to be able to talk about it to anyone, not even a doctor. You know, I just wanted to protect my husband and protect our family. And it just was really isolating. And it came to a point where I knew I couldn't live like that anymore. You know, when we received my husband's diagnosis, we walked out of that appointment with no hope, no roadmap, nothing, just to check back in in a couple of months.

2:35And we were sent on our way. And I realized really quickly how unsupported we were, the next caregiver would be. and I had to go and sort of figure this all out on my own. You know, what support do I need? What support do I need for our two children who were 8 and 10 at the time? You know, what do I need to do to figure out what to do with this diagnosis that I did not fully understand or grasp? Do you feel like at this point with everything you've gone through and writing a book on it that you feel like, ah, I figured this out or is it still something that's obscure and you kind of don't know what's happening?

3:15You don't know what's going to come next. I mean, I've really educated myself. I think that's really helped me sort of settle my nervous system is to be like a couple steps ahead so I can really understand the disease, understand what we're up against, understand what could happen, might happen, and just be prepared for that. You know, for the most part, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't have this down to a fine science. I have to remember, I mean, I wrote the book that cares for the caregiver. I keep it next to my bedside because it's sometimes I just need to open it up and and the book is is part of my story as a caregiver but I think what are the real nuggets in there are the experts and the specialists that I bring in who share their insight and wisdom that I need to remember that I need to hear because it's so easy to forget when you are in the midst of grief and trauma and, you know, trying to make all the decisions for everyone all the time.

4:11It's hard. It's really easy to get lost in it. So for the audience that's unfamiliar with your story, what is the specific disease that you guys have been dealing with and how would you describe it to people? Yeah, so it's called frontotemporal dementia or FTD for short. It affects the frontal lobe and the temporal lobes. You know, this is executive decision, you know, just your everyday sort of functioning, language, comprehension that's in your temporal lobe. So the variant, because there's three different variants of FTD, the one that Bruce has affects language. But there's another variant that will affect behavior and another one that could affect movement.

4:56So there's three different variants to FTD. And does this affect memory as well? It does not. No, it doesn't. So that's a different part of the brain. So when people say, oh, does he remember who you are? Well, he does because he doesn't have Alzheimer's. He has FTD. And I think that's a very common misconception that when you think of dementia, we think of memory loss. Yeah, because my grandmother passed and she had dementia and eventually it got really bad. And she didn't know who we were at the end. Yeah, yeah. It's not that. So he knows who you are. He knows who the children are. Okay. But yeah, it's different to Alzheimer's.

5:36And Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. But FTD is the most common form of dementia for people under the age of 60. Wow. A lot of people, when they talk about grief, talk about grief pertaining to someone dying. Mm-hmm. You are in grief when someone is alive. Yeah. How do you explain that to someone that doesn't understand that? Yeah. I mean, thankfully, there was a doctor, Dr. Pauline Boss, who coined this term called ambiguous loss, and it's grieving someone who is alive. And that is what many people who are caregivers to someone with dementia experience, because your person is there physically, but maybe not mentally or emotionally.

6:25I almost feel in a way, and again, I don't have a tremendous amount of experience. It's just one family member. But in a way, I don't want to say it's harder because death's hard. But one is much more final than the other. When someone actually passes from living to the dead, that's done. You're kind of going through it and you kind of lose a little bit of them each day. Yeah. I mean, I think what you experience with any form of dementia is it just takes, you know, these diseases they take and they take and they take very, sometimes very slowly. And you are grieving different losses all the time.

7:05So you are consistently in grief. You know, I've just learned how to navigate it. Maybe I'm a little bit more used to it at this point than I was early on. But yeah, you are just sitting, sitting with it and moving alongside of it. What are the main causes of FTD if we know or do we know? Yeah, genetics can be one. You know, it can run in your family. but for 70 % of people, it's a sporadic form, which means that it could just happen. And we don't know why, you know, it could be environmental. I mean, I think that is the thing with dementia. There's a part of it that is genetics. There is a part of it that could be, you know, that runs in your family.

7:56But it can just happen. Does the person who's in it know that they have dementia or does it not compute for them? It depends. I think for some people, they do know. For others, they don't. And there's a term called anasygnosia, where your brain does not allow you to compute what is happening. And for Bruce, he was very much in that. And I'm really grateful for that, actually. It was hard. It's like a blessing and a curse. But I am happy that he is in his own, you know, world of not knowing. How do you support your children through this? And if someone's listening and they have children and they're a caregiver, how did they, what are the tools that they can give their children?

8:46Yeah, I mean, I, there's a whole chapter in there, parenting while caregiving and there's an expert that I, you know, was able to connect with. Her name is Megan Graham. And what she taught me was about how to give this information to your children in an age-appropriate way. You know, not give them too much, but, you know, you open up the conversation. So, you know, when Bruce was diagnosed, the kids knew that I was going to be coming home with a name of whatever this might be. And I told them it was, you know, frontotemporal dementia. We can also call it FTD. And they were like, F, you know, T, D.

9:28No, we put, you know, they put an acronym. They made an acronym of Fantastic Turtles Dancing so that they would be able to remember, you know, just the way the letters went. And then from there, you know, I would wait and just wait to see what questions they might have. And you might have kids that are like very inquisitive and like have a ton of questions and you have to be ready to answer those questions that you feel fit for them to hear in an age-appropriate way, but it must be truthful. And you know what I have always told my kids that if anything changes, I'm going to let you know. So they know that I'm never going to try and sugarcoat this for them.

10:10They, I think, feel confident in me. There's that trust that they know that I'll be able to talk with them and walk them through it. And they are supported. And, you know, I think that they're doing really well, given the givens. How do you support yourself? And to me, it's like, you know how when you become a mom and you feel like you are running on empty and you go and get a massage or you do something for yourself and there's a little bit of a guilt guilt is that a similar is that a similar feeling yeah as when you need to like step back and support yourself there's I almost would imagine if that was Michael I would feel a little guilt but you have to support yourself I think that that is so common for caregivers yeah you know we want to put our person first we want to put our children first you know I think like as women in society it's like we want to put everyone in front of ourselves but as a caregiver if you are not caring for yourself it is going to be impossible for you to continue this journey of caregiving and be able to sustain it so yes of course you know early on did I have guilt of you know if I would meet a friend or go out to do something very simple 100 % and worried about like is everything okay at home you know it's very hard to detach but I've realized that how important it is caregiving is very bad for your health you know because you aren't making your doctor's appointments because you're so focused on your person you you aren't caring for yourself and again you can't sustain the journey of caregiving if you're not putting yourself first I was reading about how night nurses that it's very easy for them to get, I think it was a certain kind of cancer, and it's because they're not exposed to the sun during.

12:09Oh, interesting. Like they go to sleep during the day, a lot of them. And I think as a caregiver, it seems like you would have to be up at night, kind of, I would think. Yeah, you're sleeping with one eye open. Which is like, you know, it's not good for the person. No, it's not good. And it's not good for your brain health, right? I mean, you know, I'm a big brain health advocate. And if you aren't sleeping well, I mean, that's one of the pillars to great brain health is sleep. And we know as moms, I mean, I used to be a great sleeper and then I became a mom and then you hear one little noise and you're, you know, you're up.

12:42It's the same thing for a caregiver who has to really sleep with one eye open to make sure that the house is safe, your person is safe. You know, it's, it's, there's, it's, it's a lot. I've been debating if Lauren, when she hears noise in the night if she hears them and is pretending to sleep or if she doesn't hear them i sometimes pretend i'm because i will spring out and then recently i went out of town for the night and she's in and her sister went and stayed the night she's like wow i couldn't believe how quick lauren sprung out of bed and jumped up and i it was an indicator to me that like have you been awake this whole time when i'm springing up yeah she pretends she's not our brain scanned by dr Amen.

13:22Oh, we love Dr. Amen. I knew you would. Yes, of course. He did. He did my scan as well. He's great. He's fabulous. Yes. And he scanned our brains and my brain came out, came out as the masculine brain and Michael's came as the feminine. Oh, that's so interesting. In the way that we were like, I don't have a woman's brain. She has a man's brain. But she said, typically the male has this like a slow brain and a woman has a fast brain. We said in our case, it's really weird. It's swapped. Oh, my gosh. So I don't know. So my theory is that I get to sleep through the night and pretend I'm sleeping and he can hop up.

13:52And so he should. But my perspective is like, I am up anyway. Like if I hear a pin drop in the house at night, I'm like, I'm up, I'm running around. So I was like, well, then you sleep because I'm not going to, you know. What would you say to the audience who is about to enter a phase where maybe they are going to have to start being a caregiver of a parent? What is your advice? I'm sure a lot of people have come to you for that advice. Oh, yeah. I mean, I think what is really important is that we need to move away from this idea that caregiving is a solo mission. Yeah. You know, I think that we all feel, and myself included, that like you don't want to ask for help.

14:30If you do, you seem weak. You're failing your parents, your spouse, if you are bringing in help. But that's not true. We really need to reframe that. and I think it's important for your audience to know that you need to start you do need to start thinking about it because you don't think about it until you're in it you know for me I didn't think about caregiving I didn't think that this would be a part of my life until all of a sudden it was a part of my life so it's important to know that it's okay to ask for help that we need to be able to bring in help, talk to our community, our family, our friends, sort of rally that idea of community that we have lost complete touch of, I think, and be able to bring in support because we can't do this alone.

15:21When you started opening up to your own community on Instagram, was it amazing, incredible support? Did you get a lot of questions? What did you notice when you started opening up? I think it was just a sense of relief to be able to just be in what is, you know, without having to be so conscious, so careful. I couldn't live like that anymore. So I was able to open up and then I was able to find my community, right? You know, with Bruce, who has a disease of FTD, there is an organization, Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration. those are my people you know I just went to their educational conference in Seattle a couple of weeks ago and it's just I get to be around people that just understand they understand the disease they understand the trajectory what you're going through and that's really helpful so I also think that's important is you know finding your community of support or support groups that they have through you know, through them.

16:26It's so important. Is his profile helpful or harmful in this situation? Meaning like, obviously he's not the average person that maybe doesn't have the visibility, right? Some average person goes through this, it's them and their family and maybe their friends. Yeah. You guys are going through this. There's a much larger microscope on your family. You know, it cuts both ways. I'm really viewing it now as something that's positive because I see a lot of things shifting because of Bruce. You know, it's really opened the door to many different conversations. The awareness of the disease itself. You know, the awareness is so important.

17:06We want people to get diagnosed sooner so that they can get the support that they need sooner, so that they can get into the trials that are there. You know, the issue with FTD, it's, you know, commonly misdiagnosis, bipolar, midlife crisis. So that when you get to this diagnosis, which is like three or seven years later, you know, they can't get into the trials that are there. So when you started seeing, when he started exhibiting signs of that, did you think he was having a midlife crisis? I didn't think it was a midlife crisis. So for Bruce, it affected his language. So I was noticing things in his language, which, you know, there was a stutter that came back.

17:47He had a severe stutter as a child and that started to come back. So for him, it was language, but for others, it can be behavior where it does look like it could be a midlife crisis or something has completely gone awry. And what, like say that someone's listening and it's like a light bulb moment. Like if you catch these symptoms early and get it diagnosed properly, what can you do? So there is this doctor, his name's Dr. Bruce Miller. He is a neurologist and really specializes in frontotemporal dementia and different types of dementia as well. But one of the things that he said that always stuck with me, that if you see someone in their 40s, 50s, 60s that should have their sort of life together, you know, they hold a job, they're a family person.

18:30If you start seeing something with them that seems completely different, that is a change in the brain and that needs to be addressed. So not somebody that doesn't have their shit together, or someone who had it together. Someone who had it together. I was going to say, there's a lot of my friends that I can start to think about. Oh, no. Maybe they've got it. Yeah, no. They had it together. They had it together and then all of a sudden you see a real shift in their personality or something. That is a change in the brain. So that awareness piece has been, you know, I think really has changed a lot within frontotemporal dementia and then how people now are like, you know, because of, you've talked about it or because I read your book, I realized that, oh my God, maybe this is a form of dementia.

19:19I think it's also opened the door for just the advocacy that we're trying to do. We were in Washington, D.C. recently, being able to walk into these senators' office and be able to educate them. I think it has a lot to do with Bruce and how beloved he is, how much goodwill there is. And people want to help and they want to hear. and I'm going to walk through the door. I think people do love him, but I also have noticed people love you too. So I think you have to give yourself massive credit. And this subject is not an easy subject to talk about. No, it's very hard. I'm going to leave here and then just go into hiding for 24 hours because it's a lot.

20:03This is our personal story and it's hard to talk about. Sometimes I can't believe that this is the life that we are leading, but it's really been about how can I live the best life that I can because my husband would want that for me, for our children. You know, he would want me to make the best out of what is and that is what I'm trying to do. This for me is important, you know. So when you do something like this or any kind of press or any kind of writing the book, that feels draining and you need to recharge? Yeah, I need to recharge. I need to make time. And what do you do to recharge? You know, it's connecting with my friends.

20:46It's being able just to get out for a walk. It's just trying to go. I'm an introvert. You know, I have social anxiety. I've taken a beta blocker before I'm here talking to you guys just to bring the anxiety. What does a beta blocker do? It takes away my heartbeat racing out of my chest. It'll take the shakes out of my hand. It will stop me from sweating profusely. It'll just allow me just to be calm in a moment. So I can just be able to give what I'm trying. You're talking about a heavy subject too. This is not like you're doing a book tour for, you know. Like a cookbook? I wish it was a cookbook.

21:29It's not a cookbook. No. So I think I think that that is so important, though, that you're self-aware enough to know that you do have to recharge after something like this. Yes, because it's it's heavy and it's a big output. But again, it's I think it's a really important topic and subject. And I just want others to have a different outcome to what we did. You know, leaving with no support, nothing, you know, is insane. It's crazy. And, you know, if we're leaving like that, imagine everyone else. We had a great doctor. You know, I'm not going to say that we didn't. It's just that. Imagine you guys had all the resources that one could have.

22:10That's right. And that's why now it's important to be able to be able to give it to others who don't. But, you know, whenever you talk about any kind of trauma in a public forum, I think it touches so many people because we're all human. But the person sharing that then also, especially in the days now that everybody's connected, I'm assuming this will reach people and you will get messages about this. And that's great. That's part of what you're doing, what we're doing. But then you're also absorbing all of that energy as well. And you obviously want to handle it delicately and support those people.

22:46But it's a lot to carry is what I'm saying. It's a lot of responsibility to carry. Yeah. I mean, I've kind of had to be because I want to be present and it's so beautiful, like to be able to connect with others and hear other people's stories where I wasn't, you know, I wasn't able to share and people couldn't share with me. And now being able to just sort of be open and connect. But I do have to be mindful to not allow. I'm an empath, you know, so I hear things and I really take it in. And I can't do that. I have to really sort of protect the space. And I've learned how to do that now. Have you heard of zipping up?

23:23What's the zipping up? You imagine yourself like actually getting zipped up in a bubble, whatever you want. That's what I write about in my book. Zip up? Well, not a zip up, but you're saying bubble. You call it a bubble. I call it a bubble. Okay. And I think that that's maybe if you want to speak on that to the audience, that's a good tip to be able to get in the bubble. Yes. You got to get in the bubble. Well, even as a caregiver, right? I think it's easy for us to take on, especially for someone with dementia, where you can't really get into their head and ask them, like, how are you feeling?

23:54You know, you have to be the eyes and ears. You have to take on and imagine kind of what they might be feeling. But I can take that too far. So it's really important for me to just be able to put myself into this bubble so that I can really, like, assess what's happening. like not what I'm making up in my head but it's the same thing like going out where I'm speaking to other caregivers like I put on my shield like step into my bubble and just really be able to be there and listen um I don't need to give advice but it's just people they just want to be heard you know who's the best at sipping up now that you're talking the best I've ever seen is Tony Robbins oh okay when you see watch that show I'm not your guru he did like a documentary okay because everyone coming to his event has a reason that they're coming to the event well we've had they all have a story and they want to share and he has if he doesn't zip up he can't perform at the level that he needs to perform to help them we've had therapists on this show and actually there was a book that we optioned and then built into a show actually called good morning monster and anyways these um therapists many of them as they go through the years they end up quitting the profession because and some of the reasoning they say is like it's just so much trauma and energy that's being dumped on them for so many years that at some point you get your point where like you can't do it anymore well she said that you stop having empathy too which was crazy she admitted that she said as a therapist you stop having empathy which is crazy that is so much for so long and it's like you obviously get into that profession to help people in the first place but at some point you almost like get desensitized to it yeah and then you're it wears you down well Well, it's probably too like, you know, when you're walking through the grief as well, there's almost a part of it where you do become a little bit desensitized.

25:41You know, I don't know if it's desensitized or you just get used to it. There's, I don't know. It's very similar kind of thing. The way I think about it, and this is a bad example, Lauren. So tell me to be quiet if I need to. Lauren lost her mother at a younger age and has talked about it here. And when I first, when we first got really serious with each other and I would bring her something that I thought was a big deal. Business deal goes wrong. Something that was a big deal to me. It was inconsequential to her. But I would want her to kind of like match the emotional, I guess the emotion that I was having.

26:15And it took me a few years to realize that what happens like if you stretch your experiences and your trauma, like what's the worst thing that happens to me is the worst thing that happens to me. But if you've had someone who's had something much worse happen in comparison. It feels small. And it's almost like that person. Like I was like, why aren't you more empathetic to me? Why don't you feel what it's, but it's because of those experiences. Yeah. You build up this sort of like heavy resistance, I think in a way, because anything else that happens besides what we're walking through right now is gravy.

26:46Yeah. Like if somebody came to you right now, I was like, Oh my, you know, I lost my, I lost my job. Like you're not going to feel as bad for that person. How do you deal with that? When you you have a friend that comes to you and she's like, my boyfriend broke up with me and I feel like I'm going to die. What do you say? What would I say? Listen, I'm really good at listening. And I want to be able to be there and to, yeah, listen. That's all you can do is listen. But I do think that what we're walking through is very hard. Very hard. everyone has, everyone has their stuff. Everyone has their stuff.

27:28Parents that lose a child, like, like, worst, you know, like you can't, you can't get worse than that. No, I don't, I don't think there is anything worse than that. But you know, I think in a weird way, and this is going to sound even stranger, some of these experiences also kind of become superpowers in life because you're able to realize how inconsequential many of the things that we worry and concern ourselves with are. Yeah. Right. Where you like, you know, you go online for a little bit and you see people complaining and upset about this person said that or did this, like, who cares? Not a big deal in comparison.

27:59You know, and even though, you know, this is a hard situation that we are navigating, I do always think that it could be much worse. You know, I do always think that because, you know, what, even what our children are seeing is how we show up for their father, how we love and care and support him. I think there is something that is beautiful about that. So it is hard, but again, it could always be, it could always be worse. I mean, your children are seeing a beautiful example of a person. That's, if there's a silver lining, it's really beautiful and they get to grow up and read that book that you wrote.

28:41I mean, it's, it's, they're going to be very powerful girls. I can tell you that. I just had a sip of this drink. Okay. How is it? So good. Okay. This is my type of drink. Okay, good. By the way, I could add tequila to this. Does that negate it? No, so we do, you can do like a mocktail. Like sometimes we get fun with it and we'll put like, you know, a fizzy, like a fizzy something in it. And so that's our Make Time for Brain Health powder. It covers all your essentials. It's so good. It's very good for a busy woman who, you know, doesn't have time to take all the multivitamins multiple times a day.

29:13That's everything that you need in one drink. And did you become inspired to launch Brain Health Supplements because of Bruce's journey and your experience? Not fully. So I was experiencing my own brain fog. And I went to my doctor and said, you know what, like, I feel low energy. I don't feel like myself. I'm walking into rooms. I don't know why. I just feel really foggy. And he was like, you know what, you've got mommy brain. You're not sleeping enough. You're stressed. Don't worry, it's going to come back and completely dismissed me. And I walked away thinking, OK, well, I'm going to be OK.

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29:50Great. And I just was in sort of that same, you know, feel of just fog. So I got curious and, you know, really went and advocated for myself and found this brain health specialist who introduced me to this term of brain health and what that really looks like. And I changed my lifestyle and started taking fistful of these vitamins that he'd given me multiple times a day and I really started to see a difference and said to my friend who is now co-founder of Make Time Wellness I was like I would love to be able to take all of these vitamins and turn it into like a drink powder or a gummy and she was like we could totally do that and that's and that's what we did so you know it was kind of happening sort of around the same time and I've been able to educate myself so much more probably because of Bruce and his disease and speaking to all these incredible neurologists and people within the brain health space has really, yeah, in a way influenced more of what we do at Make Time.

30:53What has been the most surprising thing that you've learned about brain health throughout all these experiences that you've had? That one in five women will get Alzheimer's disease versus one in 10 men, that we are much more at risk as we really started to go down that path of understanding women and their brain and where they need the support and what's lacking and like what wasn't on the shelf that we were trying to find that wasn't there. You know, we were walking down these aisles and seeing supplements that were really geared towards men. Yeah. You know, it was like very sort of high performance for men.

31:29And no one was talking to women about their brain health. and we're so much more at risk. But what I loved is that there are things that we can do. You know, studies show that like 40, 45%, if you change your lifestyle, that you can, you know, prevent, if not reverse, dementia. Let me ask you this. Is it, this is gonna sound like a strange question. Did they figure out this statistic because they basically took this after people were diagnosed or suffering? or did they base the statistic on something because of the brain is wired in the first place? Yeah, I think that what they've done is just been able to look at sleep and how that affects the brain, look at nutrition.

32:13Mediterranean diet is such a great thing that's known that they've studied to see how, you know, that is helpful for the brain. All those like fatty, you know, omegas and the fish and the leafy greens and, you know, social connection. They've studied all of this stuff and then they've been able to. But I guess also as it relates to men versus women, meaning like, did they just like. Well, we just know. We just know. We see. We see. You know, women do live longer than men, but we also go through a lot of hormonal changes, which really changes the chemistry of our brain. So, yeah. My theory is the reason there's nothing for women on the shelves is because we need more women founders of supplement companies.

32:54I think it's a lot of men thinking they know what women want. you can tell by the design of the packaging yeah and our packaging is so cute like we're not here to scare women you know we're not using scare tactics what we're doing is empowering women you know I think like and I think that's what I love doing is being able to like give like hear the information learn the information and being able to pass it on that's what I did in my book that's what I'm doing at Make Time Wellness it's that you know we're learning things that we can do that support the brain and you know that's our most valuable asset.

33:30And I wanted to be able, you know, what we do is we talk about it in very simple forms. When things get too sciency and nutty, I just, I can't, I just can't do it. And we try to do it just as very simplified, you know, very simplified in a way with ingredients we understand in a way that we can take, take it that is easy, comprehensible. I tell my chat GPT, I say, explain this to me like a kindergartner 100 i need to be able to digest this yes because you know i think we we hear so much sort of on instagram of what we should be doing and you know and i think that's great but i think sometimes it gets so overwhelming that i'm like screw it i can't do any of it i can't do any of it so we just try and keep it very simple um and that's what and that's what we've done.

34:23And I'm really, it's like my third baby. If you know me, you know, I am fascinated about attention and I'm fascinated about paying attention to where things are moving before they hit the mainstream media. And that is why I love Polymarket. Okay. So this is something that I've been obsessed with. I've been telling my friends, my family, it's something that really helps if you love being ahead of the conversation, or if you're like me and you like to spot things early or you want to be ahead of the times, in on the pulse. Just like if you want to stay plugged into what's happening across culture or entertainment or sports or tech, you're going to be into this.

35:04Trust me. So there's markets on everything. You guys know there's a market on like if Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet will get engaged in 2026 or AI advances in the tech market. Something that I was just looking at is are the Knicks or the Spurs going to win? Like you can find all the things on Polymarket. I was even checking the odds about the next James Bond. I'm having a Bond themed birthday for my boys this weekend. They're born very close together and so I'm into all things James Bond. I think this is a great thing to do too before you go to a dinner party because you can be ahead of conversations.

35:39These are the things that you can tap into with the Polymarket app very soon for US users. What I think is really cool is it's not limited to one category. So like I said they They have all different things across the board. You can tap into whatever you're interested in. If you know Michael and I, you know we love to be early onto things. And so this is something that I think makes you brighter, sharper, and just in on the moment. Before the news drops, Polymarket is now available in the U.S. App Store. You can trade on culture, entertainment, and more all in one place. Download the app and use code SKINNY for a free$50 to get started.

36:15So recently, Lauren and I threw away these two beautiful outdoor chairs. We hated to do so. They were destroyed beyond the point where we could even donate them. The weather here in Texas just destroyed them. But that's okay because we have Wayfair and we knew that Wayfair would have our back. What I love about this company is that they make everything easy when it comes to home goods, furniture, home decor, accessories. They have it all in one place, all simple and easy to find. And they take care of delivery, installation, everything. For us, this was obviously for our outdoor space. We had an opportunity to completely update and get new products.

36:47We have these two new wicker chairs, these rocking chairs. We sit on our porch, they're outdoors. We don't have to worry about them getting destroyed in the weather, but they don't just have outdoor seating. They have grills, major appliances, storage, patio lighting, rugs, decor. Wayfair, like I said, is your one-stop shop for home. And what we love is installation and assembly services are available for a truly seamless experience. I don't want to be out there in the Texas heat fighting this furniture, trying to put it together. I don't have that expertise. I have other skill sets. Wayfair takes care of all of it.

37:14Don't just take it from me. With over 20 million five-star reviews, you can hear from real customers before you buy and you can shop with Wayfair Verified, your shortcut to the good stuff. Their team of product specialists bets everything by hand using a 10-point inspection, testing things like the quality of materials, functionality and features, and even how long it takes to build. So check them out. Patio season is here and these deals won't last. Head to wayfair.com slash outdoor right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R dot com slash outdoor. Wayfair, every style, every home.

37:46I have been on quite the hair journey. I felt like after my first baby, I was shedding. I noticed some hair on my silk pillowcase. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I did a lot of microneedling on the scalp, which was really helpful. And then I did a lot of scalp massage. I started eating organ meat, which has so many amazing aminos in it. And I kicked up my supplementation. Okay. Hair thinning, shedding, hair issues. If you have any of these, you should check out Nutrafol. They have the most proactive approach and they target the root cause. If you're unfamiliar, Nutrafol is the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand.

38:35And it's the number one hair growth supplement brand personally used by dermatologists. Nutrafol's hair growth supplements are peer reviewed, NSF certified for sport and clinically tested. Let your hair be one less thing to worry about. See visibly thicker, stronger, faster growing hair in three to six months with Nutrafol. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners$10 off your first month subscription and free shipping when you visit Nutrafol.com and enter promo code skinnyhair. That's Nutrafol.com, spelled N-U-T-R-A-F-O-L.com, promo code skinnyhair. You are the mother of two girls and you are the stepmother of three girls.

39:16what are the things that you think about like the advice that you want to leave these five girls what are the things that you think are really important for you to teach them just how we show up in our lives you know being genuine being authentic you know owning who we are I think that sometimes comes a little later in life but you know they talk about like resilience and like you know children are so resilient but I do think it's taught you know I think that kids see how their parents handle situations, how they're handling hard situations. And I think that they, they learn from that. They grow from that.

39:53So I'm just hoping that they're picking up what I'm putting down. Based on everything you've learned now over the years, what do you believe to be some of the worst things we can do for our brains? Like what are behaviors or things that we're eating or ways like... Don't say tequila. I guess what's the worst for brain health? You know, I think sleep, when people are not sleeping properly, I think that's, we know that to be really bad because during that time when you're sleeping, that's when you're throwing the trash out in your brain. You know, exercise is really important. That's going to like help loosen that sticky plaque that we have in our brain.

40:32And the sleep is that time to be able to throw that out. So sleep is really important. And, you know, yes, like what we're eating, we have to, you know, watch sugar. We do have to watch alcohol because alcohol, I don't know about you, affects my sleep. I'm not saying that I don't love a glass of wine or a margarita. Why does it happen as you get older, too? It does. You just wait. You just wait and see what happens. I even smell alcohol these days. I'm hungover for two days. You know, and if you're going to do it, if you're going to have a glass, do it, you know, four hours before you go to bed.

41:04Don't do it like right at the end of the night. That's going to really screw with your sleep. You know, nutrition, exercise. So being, you know, connected, socially connected. I think that we all feel like we're connected because we can check in on people's Instagrams and we're kind of going along with them for the ride. No, it's not. That's not it. It's really about community, finding people that you can talk to. What we like to say over at Make Time is grab a friend, go for a walk, talk about your problems. you know that's a really great way to find connection and movement and you know killing a couple birds with one stone i hate to like be somebody who like points at different age groups and generations but what i've note is like lauren and i were one of the last demographics to grow up without technology smartphones like we got out of college before you had instagram and all that stuff i was like it's weird to think about because we lived before the internet and then after the in both worlds right yeah um but it what i and we have younger siblings so like 10 years younger and what i say is like sometimes you meet younger people and again don't be mad at me people where they're in person in front of you but there's a bit of like a vacant look how interesting and it's not and it's almost like it's not as connected but then when this thing comes up it like turns on and it's almost like it's like power i think they're used to talking to the phone oh yeah And they don't know how to connect socially.

42:27And it's weird because like, you know, when I grew up, it's like you have to sit with someone, you have to look them in the eyes, you have to put things away, you have to be present, you have to be at the dinner table. And I think that for a certain generation, maybe not swinging the way, like a lot of them weren't taught that or just didn't grow up that way. Yeah. But I think it's important because you start to see issues with dating or friendships or holding jobs or growing in a career path. And it's like, you have to have that human connection that you're talking about. It's so important. You know, we can't lose that.

42:55I know we really can't lose that. Yeah. And I think that technology like we're more connected than ever, but it's actually in a weird way making us as humans more disconnected than ever. A hundred percent. It's strange. It's a strange thing to observe as I get older as someone who like, you know, you meet some of these people and I work with many of them and I'm like, are you there? Yeah, no, we need to get back into social connection because that is a pillar of brain health, you know, being able to connect, talk, not just on the phone, like really get together with someone. It worries me too, even like, listen, I'm not like someone that's bashing.

43:29We're going to use technology. But if you have all of the world's information at your fingertips in a button right away, you almost like can be on autopilot. Like there's no reason to retain or to think or to do critical thinking if AI can do it for you. I think you have to be intentional now about like making sure your brain works properly. Yeah. I mean, and that's another thing like mental stimulation. You know, you need to be able to put the phone down. You need to be able to learn maybe a new language or, you know, play the piano and instrument of some sort. Or, you know, we aren't working our brains as hard as we used to.

44:08Yeah. You know, it's so easy to go to chat GPT. I do it, too. Sure, we all do it. I mean, it's an easy thing just to go in there and, okay, got it. Stuff is coming at us so quickly, and it's really important to be mindful of that, to take a brain break. You need to be able to put that phone down. I mean, even with our schedules, right? We're so scheduled. I'm so scheduled. I've got things going on nonstop, and I schedule these brain breaks to be able to get up from my computer, to get outside, just to be able to take a break. because we are in such a grind. Like it's so grinding all the time, but you need to be able to take time for your brain.

44:49Dr. Amen told us to play tennis. Yeah, I said we're playing tennis or any kind of game. But you know, I was talking to a friend of mine and his daughter is getting ready to go to college. And she was saying like, oh, why do I need to like even remember that? Like she was basically making the argument, like I don't need to remember. And it's, and what I tell people is like, you want to learn how to retain and remember because that's what triggers your brain to work and to function properly. It's not like, of course you can use these tools and you should, but part of the reason that you go to retain things, to learn things, to understand, to critically think is to get your brain actually working.

45:20Yeah. I mean, even like in everyday life when you, you know, we put an address into GPS and we kind of know where we're going. Just like, don't use a GPS. Just get to actually where you need to go without using it. I would never get there, Emma. I don't even know where I'm going in Texas. No, but you know, we can't do this anymore. But do you remember back in the day you had to read a map or even print things out of I've never read a map ever in my life. I've read many of maps. I had the Thomas Guide when I was living in L.A. and the Plan de Paris when I was modeling in Paris. It was maps and writing stuff down.

45:52We don't need to do that anymore. Another thing, it's like if you brush your teeth with your right hand, use your left hand. Oh, that's a good one. If you're going to the grocery store, why don't you just remember what you need to buy? That's just a way to train your brain, right? Have you done that test where you stand on one foot and you close your eyes while you're standing on one foot? Yeah, I've done that. I'm not good at it. Yeah, they say like that you want to get good at because they say it indicates like if your brain's functioning. Like if you're listening to the show, stand up right now, close your eyes, stand on one foot, see if you can stand up still without falling over for 15 seconds.

46:27No, but that was fun. Back in the day, you'd read a map. I remember I would sit in the car with my dad and I'd read the map. And if you make a wrong turn, it's kind of part of the adventure. Yeah, totally. You had to learn how to go and how to navigate. missed the map with dad excursion i don't think dad was reading a map either i don't know if your dad's ever read a map and he grew up in a time when he needed a map my dad's the type that's like we don't need a map and then we end up in timbuktu her dad brought i know you're like i know how to get there he still does it i'm like you know where you're going he's like got it and then all of the north star but he doesn't use the phone either he just oh my god yeah what does caregiving look like to someone that has no idea?

47:07Like walk us through like things that we wouldn't think about. What does it look like? Well, what does it look like? I mean, you're constantly making decisions all the time. I think like caregivers are in, you know, decision fatigue because we are making decisions on someone else's behalf all the time. You know, we're navigating doctor's appointments. We're going into the doctor's appointment and being sort of the eyes and ears of our people being able to, you know, hear the information, write the information down, be able, you know, we're filling prescription pills, you know, making sure you, here's the Monday, Monday night, Tuesday morning, you know, just there's so much that goes, you're dealing with insurance companies, you're just, you are managing, it is a, it is a serious job.

47:57Yeah. You know, you have someone's life in your hands. So there is so much that goes into it. Hence why I say like if, you know, for your listeners who, you know, are young and but yet approaching a time where they might be in that sort of sandwich generation, you know, really think about your siblings. Really think about friends that can help and be supportive for you when that time comes. Because at some point we will all give care or we will need care. It almost is like you have to become a nurse. You're almost taking care of like a newborn in a way, like a mom. Yeah. You have to become a jack of all trades.

48:40I've got a question for you. Now that you've said this and as I'm thinking about it, from a family planning perspective, are there things that you would tell people to look into or do before? So for example, like say this happened to me, like I got to think about what directions you should have, or if something happens to one of my parents, I got to think about how we navigate that. Are there things that you guys did in advance or that you wish you did that you would tell people to think about doing? Yeah. I mean, I would say, especially for your parents, I mean, they need to be able to say what their wants and wishes are you know what what what would they like for all of it I mean it's it's it's a Pandora's box it's a dark sort of door to open and go through but it's something that's so necessary so that you really understand it takes you know I now that I know what I know I have a very sort of set plan that is already sort of in writing so that my kids don't have to figure out all the things that I've now had to figure out, you know, like all of all of this stuff.

49:44I mean, even from like, do I want to be buried or cremated? You know, what kind of service do I want? Do I want to? I mean, you really have to get into the nitty gritty of it, the kind of care that you want, maybe being able to set aside some money for care. You know, we have to think about all of these things. We really have to map. No one wants to think about it. And that's the issue is that it happens. And then it but it's inevitable. I hate to be like the doom and gloom person over here but that is what I have realized you know I never and imagine would have ever imagined that this would be our life and I would be the position that I am in but here we are you know here we are stuff happens and we just have to really think about it and get uncomfortable with it and talk about it and try and make a some kind of plan do you have something in the book or something that like a resource where people can go get all these questions answered in one space and if you don't I feel like you have to make something yeah um yeah I have a like a website what has a lot of resources on there I mean I think what the book is is that as you go through it you're going to be pointed in the right direction for so many different things yeah um because that's what I did that these are the people who I found that really sort of helped me learn what I needed to know, what the questions I needed to ask, what I needed to find out.

51:06You just don't know what you don't know. I went on vacation with my family. We had the best time in Turks and Caicos, and I love to pack all the extras in my bag. And one of those extras was Truvia. So there's Truvia Allulose Plus Stevia Sweetener and Monk Fruit Sweetener. It's a smooth, balanced tri-blend that delivers sugar-like sweetness with zero calories per serving. So when we were having coffee in the morning with our milk, we could just seamlessly add this and we didn't have to add a bunch of sugar. What I like about this brand too is if you're going to bake with it, it measures cup for cup like sugar, which makes it really easy to swap into everyday recipes.

51:48My dad was obsessed with it and his coffee. He kept using it like every day we were on vacation, which then got my stepmom obsessed with it. And it was just very efficient to be able to travel with the little packets and know that we were getting that monk fruit sweetener instead of just regular sugar for the coffee. If you're someone who values products that support your routine rather than disrupt it, this is one to try. So the one that you want to look for is Truvia Allulose Plus Stevia Sweetener and Monk Fruit Sweetener. You can use it across beverages, cooking, and baking. If you're looking for a better way to enjoy sweetness with zero calories per serving, you really need to try Trivia Allulose Plus Stevia Sweetener and Monk Fruit Sweetener, available online and nationwide at Kroger, Target, and your favorite local grocery retailer.

52:36This is my favorite fake dessert for my children. And I say fake dessert because it tastes like a real dessert, but it's like amazing. Okay. True fruit. It's launching a Greek yogurt product. If you guys have not tried this, it is so good. So it's real fruit covered in chocolate that you just grab from the freezer aisle. I initially was introduced to this brand because they sent me a bag of it with Michael and my face on it. My kids went wild. We had the frozen fruit raspberries covered in Greek yogurt, my kids went wild. They were satisfied with like two and it was like a nice sweet treat for the night.

53:15They thought they were getting like the best dessert on the planet. So they have strawberry, raspberry, and banana. If I'm grabbing one, it's the raspberry. Like for sure. You guys know that if you're a long time skinny confidential readers, I love raspberries covered in chocolate. Delicious. But don't sleep on the banana and the strawberry. This is great for a fun midday stack. We like to use it as a late night treat after dinner. You could have one post-workout, something sweet just for you. It's frozen, it's refreshing, and it's such a nice little light sweet option. The best part though, it's real fruit, Greek yogurt, and it's frozen.

53:50So it's just all the things that you want if you're going to give your kids a treat. Find it in the frozen aisle of your grocery store now. I want to talk to you guys about nicotine, specifically free nicotine. The other day, I was sharing all about nicotine on my Instagram stories and talking about how I use it. I use it to perform. I use it to stay focused. I use it to lock in. And many people wrote in and had questions. They were surprised that nicotine could have these benefits. That's because many people don't realize that even though nicotine is a chemical and has to be used responsibly, there's also a ton of evidence that it could be used for focus.

54:21It could be used to lock in. It could be used to stay sharp. There's also some people that say it has neurodegenerative protection properties. and most recently there's even been doctors going on shows that say some of the people that struggle the least with viral illnesses is people that use nicotine on a regular basis something about nicotine guarding the bloodstream i can't validate any of that i'm obviously not a doctor but what i can say personally for me is that i've been taking free nicotine for a while now and i use it when i need to perform well when i need to lock in i like to use it when the moments are high when the stakes are high when i have to do this podcast when there's something that i really got to lock into and focus on and maybe a topic that requires more thought and comprehension, maybe something that is a complicated topic where I need to really lock in and not be just passively listening.

55:07I also like it when I have to lock in as an entrepreneur. I'd be lying if I said every single day my favorite thing to do is look at a financial statement, a P &L, go through HR. But in those moments where I need to stay focused and stay sharp, I use this as a tool. So here's the thing about free nicotine. It comes in five strengths, three milligrams all the way up to 15 milligrams. and these are great because they can satisfy different needs. Obviously, not everyone needs to start with a 15 milligram. Those are for the heroes out there. That's a really strong strength. If you just need to kind of lock in just a little bit, focus a bit, maybe you want to try the three.

55:38But what I like is you could go to the three, the six, the nine, the 12, the 15. They have these different strengths for you to experiment and figure out which strength is going to be best for you given whatever situation you're in. They're pre-prime for rapid delivery. They're discreet and portable for any environment. What I like is this is really for people that want to own their edge, for people who have shit to do, for people that want to get things done. And like I said, for me, this has been an incredible tool in my toolbox that I can roll out when I need to pay attention in a different way and when I need to make sure that I'm just going to get everything that I need to get done, done, especially for those more tedious tasks or, you know, especially for those harder conversations where, you know, without focus, they could be a disaster.

56:17So like I said earlier, obviously you have to be responsible with nicotine, but it's also a tool to stay sharp and focus. And many people now in the health and wellness space are talking about this as a tool. I think for the longest time, nicotine got only a bad rap and there was very little focus on the positive benefits. But here's the thing. People have been using nicotine for generations and well before these digital platforms ever existed. So check them out. Free exists for the ones who stay sharp when it counts, for professionals who value competence over content. Free delivers rapid pre-prime nicotine and discreet pouch coming in five shrinks.

56:48They also have all sorts of different flavors. My personal favorite flavor is the watermelon and the mint. I like those ones a lot. And so if you're sitting there slugging through that 3 p.m. meeting, this could be a great way to get back in the game, stay focused, and block out all the extra noise. This episode is brought to you by Lauren Bostic for P-Volv. That's right. I have launched a kit with P-Volv. I designed every single aspect of this kit with the P-Volv team, and it is gorgeous, as you can see. We have eight-pound weights, 12 pound weights, 15 pound weights, because I am so passionate about getting women to lift heavier.

57:23And this kit has heavy weights in it. And it also has everything you need for stability and mobility. So in this kit, you're really getting everything you could ever want when it comes to fitness. You're also getting access to my P-Volv trainer, Dani Coleman. She also happens to be Jennifer Aniston's trainer. She's coached me along this P-Volv journey. P-Volv has been something that I keep going back to for the last seven years. I've had three babies and it's helped me stay in shape and tighten and tone up. I love the founder, Rachel. I think she's an absolute genius. So when she came to me and wanted to create this custom kit for you guys, I was like, let's do it.

58:00It's limited edition. It's gorgeous. It comes in the most beautiful box ever. And the best part is everything is built with intention. So P-Volv's core strength pillars are strength, mobility, and stability. And this kit hits all of them. This is product that you want out in your living room, in your office. It's aesthetically pleasing. It's gorgeous. But most importantly, it works. If you want to shrink your body composition and change your life, start lifting heavy and implement stability and mobility. Lauren Bostick for P-Volv has all of the things. Like I said, This is a limited edition kit.

58:38It's called Strength Evolved. And once it's gone, it's gone. If you're looking for low impact but intense workouts, check out P-Volv. Head to pvolv.com slash skinny and use code skinny for 15 % off site-wide or on class packs at a P-Volv studio near you. And definitely grab this kit, you guys. Because like I said, once it's gone, it's gone. Lauren Bostick for P-Volv. What does your life look like today, right now? Are you actively caregiving every single day? Is it something like, what does it look like? I mean, thankfully for us, we have, you know, I think what's important for people to understand when it comes to caregiving, and especially for someone with dementia, it takes a team of people.

59:20I bet. It takes a team, yet people are doing it on their own because they have no option. That's so hard. It is a hard place to be in when you cannot afford formal caregiving. you know um that is a really hard place to be in um so for us now you know we have care and support um and because of that because that's in place now i think that has really sort of helped me be able to get out more to be able to advocate to be able to talk you know raise awareness be able to talk about things that i feel is important because my husband has great care i'm really lucky really lucky. And I don't, I don't know if he knows or not, but he would be so proud of what you're doing.

1:00:07I think you've turned the pain into purpose. I mean, really? Yeah, I think he, I think he would be, you know, I, he was always about, you know, helping others. And I think that that is what I'm doing for him to honor him, to honor our family, to honor the next family, to just make it a little, hopefully a little easier so that they know that there is support out there. I walked away thinking there was absolutely no support, that I was absolutely alone in this. And I learned that that is not the case, that there are very, there's a lot of support out there. It's just that you have to go look for it.

1:00:46And that's what I try to do in the book was be able to bring that to the person who might feel alone or does not know where to start. If someone wants to upgrade their brain health. Yeah. and they want to start thinking about all things brain health yeah where can they find this product this is very good in fact i could drink this every day on the podcast you should you must be drinking it every day so i like how it looks with the red it's like yes it's very cute it's very cute it's very cute you know what i love doing it's like i would put it into like one of those big bottles so like like this white one that you have right here yeah yeah like you've put the eight out you know you can do it in eight ounces or more um and just throw it in there and then we've got all the gummies you know we just uh landed qvc which is awesome like we're the first brain health supplement that they've had on in 40 years where they can actually make a claim do we get to see you on qvc yes you get to see me on qvc it's like my favorite thing getting out there and talking to women about their brain health is so much fun um so you know it was like two years of going through legal to be able to get out there with this product so that was really fantastic we're in target now which is really exciting um thank you and then make time wellness.com and you gave us a code you guys can use code skinny for 20 off at like emma said make time wellness.com slash skinny and i really like the powder i'm so happy and i also like how it's in little individualized packets.

1:02:20Yeah. So you can just pour it in and go. Yeah. I'm like bringing everything in my purse and it's all over the place. Sometimes I'm bringing the tub. It's just I'm I need efficiency. Yes. This is efficient. You can travel with it. It's much. We do have a container, but and which is great. It's like a scoop. It's a 30 day supply. That's a 14 day supply and you can travel with it and take it on the go. And it's great. I love it. The unexpected journey. I loved it thank you go grab it you guys will love it Emma thank you for coming on where can everyone come say hi to you come say hi to me at where am I Emma Heming Willis on Instagram I've got a website as well if you need resources or just help sort of navigating the caregiving world and at Make Time Wellness thank you thank you for doing this thank you for making the trip

1:03:17Thank you.

From the publisher

#980: Join us as we sit down with Emma Heming Willis – author, advocate, and dedicated voice for caregivers and families affected by frontotemporal dementia (FTD). A wife, mother of two, and stepmother of three, Emma is the Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer of Make Time Wellness, a company focused on empowering women through brain health education and support. In this episode, Emma opens up about her husband Bruce Willis's FTD diagnosis and shares the realities of being a caregiver. She discusses the emotional, mental, and physical challenges that come with caregiving, breaks down common misconceptions surrounding FTD, highlights the importance of brain health awareness and early education, and reveals the lessons, tools, and support systems that have helped her navigate this journey. Emma also shares how she transformed personal adversity into purpose-driven advocacy, offering hope, guidance, and community for families facing similar challenges. This is an honest, powerful conversation about resilience, caregiving, brain health, and finding strength through connection.

 

For Detailed Show Notes visit TheBossticks.com

 

To connect with Emma Heming Willis click HERE

 

To connect with Lauryn Bosstick click HERE

 

To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE

 

Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE

 

Head to our ShopMy page HERE and LTK page HERE to find all of the products mentioned in each episode.

 

To Shop Make Time Wellness visit http://maketimewellness.com/skinny and use code skinny for 20% off for a limited time. 

 

This episode is sponsored by PVOLVE

Head to http://pvolve.com/skinny and use code SKINNY for 15% off sitewide, or on class packs at a Pvolve studio near you.

 

This episode is sponsored by FRE Nicotine

Try FRE Nicotine Pouches today at http://FREpouch.com and use code SKINNY for 25% off for NEW customers only. WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

 

This episode is sponsored by Wayfair

Patio season is here and these deals won't last! Head to http://Wayfair.com/outdoor right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less.

 

This episode is sponsored by Nutrafol

For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month's subscription and free shipping when you visit http://Nutrafol.com and enter promo code SKINNYHAIR.

 

This episode is sponsored by Polymarket

Polymarket is now available in the U.S. App Store, with pop culture markets launching very soon. Download the app now and use code SKINNY to skip the waitlist and be first in line when those markets go live.

 

This episode is sponsored by Truvia

If you're looking for a better way to enjoy sweetness with zero calories per serving, you really need to try the new Truvia® Allulose Plus Stevia Sweetener & Monk Fruit Sweetener—available online and nationwide at Kroger, Target and your favorite local grocery retailer.

 

This episode is sponsored by TruFru

Find it now in the freezer aisle of your grocery store!


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