The Resilient Joy Podcast

Brighter Community Resources with Kensi

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:00 -0500

Hey there! This episode hear more about the nonprofit Brighter Community Resources - and how they co-founded this incredible organization.

Check out their website to learn more here:

https://brightercommunity.org/

Danet's Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/danet.peterson
https://www.instagram.com/the.danet.peterson/

A Cure In Sight:
https://acureinsight.org/?v=324d8a1d3f81

Kensi's Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/Brett.Kensi/about/
https://www.instagram.com/kkevans13/

Brighter Community Resources:
https://brightercommunity.org/

New Cancer Treatment - Hepzato Kit

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Kensi interviews Danet about her journey this year since April 2025 with an FDA approved treatment called Hepzato Kit - a treatment of chemo to the entire liver that is unique to her cancer only so far. (hopefully one day it'll be used to treat other types of cancer in the liver too!)

Tune in to hear about her experiences so far (2 treatments in) and also her recovery, some of the things she's learned to advocate for, and more.

If you too have metastatic uveal melanoma, please help the community out and share this episode with someone who might need it to learn more or to just understand more of this treatment. You can also learn more by heading to the Eye Believe Podcast or the A Cure in Sight Youtube Channel for episodes from medical professionals explaining this treatment and more about it.

How does Hepzato Work? (one of many youtube videos)

The Eye Believe Podcast (please subscribe!)

Hepzato Kit Resources for Patients

If you like our episodes, keep an eye out for a youtube channel coming soon to watch and listen - we're real, raw, unfiltered and def not always glamourous-- and we want you to come as you are too!

Cancer Recurrence and Insurance Battles

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Danet and Kensi talk through Jan - March of Danet's battle with insurance for coverage of histotripsy for her liver tumors found on Dec 31 2024.

This vulnerable episode is an attempt to give voice to just how much Danet and her family went through in the month of January alone in just fighting for healthcare and treatment.

The good news is that since this point, an official BCBS insurance approval did come through widely, and the procedure for treatment that Danet has had more recently, called Hepzato, IS being covered by insurance.

Strategic Incompetence - aka Choose What to Bomb

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Hey friends! We're back! We took a bit of a break during the holidays, and then with Danet's treatment schedule going a bit haywire, we just had to slow down in the podcast department.

In this episode, Kensi and Danet chat about a concept from a book, Finish, by Jon Acuff, called "strategic incompetence" and how this has helped to just show up to life with more resilience, and presence.

Be sure to subscribe, share, and let us know what else you'd like to hear about!

Happy Halloween- ACOTAR Style

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Danet and Kensi talk about their love of reading, the joy they find in a good book, and some of their most recent faves- the ACOTAR series! Join us for this book-club-feel chat, and if you have any book suggestions for us, let us know in the comments!

Integrity and Integration

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 19:00:00 -0400

Kensi and Crystal continue their conversation regarding healing. We talk about what it means to be integrated and share personal examples of what it looks like to not be integrated. Crystal helps us understand how being integrated is tied to our integrity. Again, the underlying theme of this episode is to approach our journeys of self-awareness and integration with compassion and curiosity. Those shifts alone will help you to live life with more resilience and joy.

To learn more about Crystal and the resources she offers, check out the links below:

*Also... sorry about the audio quality of this episode, friends. I am still figuring all of this stuff out! And I am definitely not a pro! So thank you for your patience as we find our groove. :)

Women's Wellness Summit, in Orem, Utah:
https://www.womenswellnesssummit.co/
$10 discount code: In10

Crystal's Website, In Every Condition:
ineverycondition.com

Crystal's Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/crystal.b.williams
https://www.instagram.com/myrathos/

Embracing Self-Compassion

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Kensi interviews her friend, Crystal on the lessons she has learned throughout her life. She shares her experiences with learning to offer herself compassion rather than criticism, beginning to recognize her wants and needs and how to prioritize them, and how these skills have moved her more into a position of collaboration- with herself and others, versus one of competition. Crystal is a beautiful example of living life with Resilient Joy!

Crystal's social media:
https://www.facebook.com/crystal.b.williams
https://www.instagram.com/myrathos/

Crystal's Website, In Every Condition:
https://ineverycondition.com/

Certainty and Uncertainty

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:00:00 -0400

In this episode Kensi and Danet talk about the complimentary and dissonant qualities of our need for both certainty and uncertainty, how we can better create empowering certainty and uncertainty in our lives, and how we can practice tolerating the discomfort that comes from balancing the tension between our need for certainty and uncertainty.

Get your Resilient Joy and Rebellious Hope candles here:
https://arizonadesertglow.com/products/resilient-joy

Danet's Podcast, Facing the Unknown:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-8-facing-the-unknown/id1561300306?i=1000530468304

For more information on our need for certainty/uncertainty, check out Tony Robbin's page here:
https://www.tonyrobbins.com/blog/do-you-need-to-feel-significant

Your go-to Self-Care Menu

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 19:00:00 -0400

In today’s episode, Danet and Kensi discuss some foundational self- care practices. Self-awareness and self-compassion being the central components in those practices. As a reference, we use a list of self-care needs for optimal functioning that was provided to Kensi by her therapist.

The list includes: 1) breath 2) sleep 3) water 4) food 5) activity 6) hygiene (Bird, 2017).

If you like what you hear in this episode, feel free to check out this blog post written by Kensi that also covers this topic:

https://peopleparentingpeople.blogspot.com/2023/11/improving-and-maintaining-self-care-in.html

Snag the shareable stories below or follow Danet and Kensi on Instagram for the stories template:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGQG-2lp4o/lRMWu3lnVMEfaaDNfnoY2A/edit?utm_content=DAGQG-2lp4o&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Getting to know Danet - Resilient Joy 2.0

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Kensi, newly minted co-host, interviews Danet about her life to date.

Areas covered in this introductory episode to rebrand the Resilient Joy podcast as a co-hosted podcast:

1. Where are you at in life right now? Family-husband and kids, job, living, etc.
2. What are you passionate about?
3. What is one of the most challenging things you have faced in your life and what has helped you to navigate that?
4. What is your biggest irrational fear?
5. What is your most embarrassing story?

Tune in to the next episode to learn more about co-host, Kens!

Getting to know Kensi! New co-host!

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Tune in to learn a little about Kensi, the other co-host of The Resilient Joy Podcast.

This episode will cover some of the same questions Kensi asked Danet, but we'll get Kensi's take on it!

Fun fact! Danet actually spent all of middle school and high school living in the house Kensi lived in as a kid. Crazy right!? We'll talk more about how we met next!

Thanks to tuning in and subscribing! We're glad you're part of this discussion and hope you can relate!

Parenting and Stage IV Cancer

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 16:00:00 -0400

Danet Peterson, a nearly 4 year ocular melanoma survivor and host of the Resilient Joy Podcast, discusses navigating the stage IV recurrence of uveal melanoma with another ocular melanoma parent and friend, Lindsay Brown.

Tune in to hear the first part of this discussion with more to come soon!

E15 What's been going on--Integrative Cancer Therapy

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 15:00:00 -0400

Hi all! It's been a while! A hot minute. I wish I could have kept up with continuing my own podcast but in the midst of kids getting sick, a stage IV cancer diagnosis, and my job working for a nonprofit to aid research, and help patients with the same cancer I have been dealing with, plus I've been hard pressed to just focus on my self care and learning how to approach cancer from a naturopathic standpoint--I just haven't had a lot of extra time. Things have settled down and I'm thankfully 5 months cancer free but I have to get to 5 years to be considered "safe" so still a while to go yet.

If you don't follow my instagram or haven't read my blog, you can find me on instagram, @the.danet.peterson and you can read my blog, which mostly just compiles my social media journal posts from my journey with ocular melanoma thus far. Most of year one is in the blog, the rest is on my social media mixed in with every day life posts.

You can read my blog here: Rebellious Hope #SFD (shit fuck damn)

I also host The Eye Believe Podcast, which you can subscribe to or tell other ocular melanoma patients about!

*I share these opinions and thoughts about my personal journey with cancer not at all lightly. Please please please do not just go wing it and DIY your cancer care. Work with a physician, consult research; don't just blindly assume that because it works for me it has to be what you do in your life and journey to health.

Episode 14: Kreacher and other little monsters

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 16:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Danet explores how our emotions, usually the perceived "negative" ones, do far less damage when we allow them space and validate them, than if we ignore and stifle our emotions. Like Kreacher, and the little monster from a story book referenced, they can be understood, allowed room and validation, and evolve to be something we learn from, something we feel fully.

Take a listen and be sure to subscribe if you enjoy this podcast!

Episode 13: Christmas Gift hiding places (better late than never)

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 15:00:00 -0500

On this episode, Danet shares from posts and polls the many clever ideas for where to hide gifts for your kiddos so they won't be found. This month flew by too fast--apologies for the lateness of this episode!

Overall lesson to be learned here? Don't use the same place twice, and be willing to move them often.

A few faves: hide them in the christmas tree box! Genius! Hiding them by wrapping them. Hiding in plain sight!

Current hiding place: In 3 GIANT black bags usually used for giving things away to the donation centers!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Episode 12: Developing Resilience through a skin cancer diagnosis

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0500

The Resilient Joy Podcast is joined by Leah Adams, speaking about her journey with skin melanoma, as well as her family's journey as a whole. Her dad is currently battling stage 4 skin melanoma.

Leah urges everyone she comes in contact with to protect your largest organ--the skin!

In the winter months, many times we forget to apply sunscreen, thinking the sun is less damaging; but it's still vital to protect your skin, even in winter months--year round is the best!

Heres a few things to do to protect your skin:

1. Apply SPF protecting sunscreen, or wear UV protectant clothing, especially at times of highest UV index. The apple watch can be a great way to check the UV index in your area.
2. Find the shade!
3. Wear a hat/sunglasses
4. Get your skin checked every year minimum!
5. Avoid tanning beds!

Here in the show notes you'll find Leah's fave shop to get UV protecting clothing, and her fav sunless tanning lotion:

UV protecting clothing:

https://lowultraviolet.com/shop

Fave Sunless Tanning Lotion below:

https://luxunfiltered.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhYrvnqru8wIVrP_jBx2rjgqcEAAYASAAEgLeBvD_BwE

Episode 11: Complicated and Boundaries; parenting edition

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Danet shares how setting some personal boundaries in parenting with school homework have helped save her sanity as a mom. ;) Also, some working through some complicated unexpected emotions!

Episode 10: No one has the emotional range of a teaspoon

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 23:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Danet shares about the EMDR therapy session of processing heavy fears about the future and comes to an important conclusion: You can never protect the people you love from their feelings. We all have to FEEL our feelings to build resilience in life.

Episode 9: Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 18:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Danet talks about facing your fears, and processing the emotion behind fear.

"Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." Albus Dumbledore

How to FEEL your fear

I feel fear a lot these days--maybe you do too.
& yet, fear is what keeps us alive, triggering a rush of adrenaline if we're say, being chased down by a hungry bear.

This whole cancer business is tricky because it seems like the fear I feel is always there, especially at first.

But feeling it, constantly--well it's not very fun. In my experience, when I feel afraid, then try to stuff down those feelings, because I'm afraid to ALLOW myself to feel the feeling of being afraid---that causes a physiological reaction that keeps my body in a constant state of stress.

I recently listened to The Life Coach School Podcast by @brookecastillo, episode 333, about fear.

Here's a few things I learned from that episode:

1. Processing fear cuts the feelings of fear in half. Half of the problem is we are afraid to just FEEL afraid. Feel the fear. Acknowledge it. Sit with it. Allow it.

2. We are never going to be free of fear. There will always be the threat of death, the threat of so many things we feel scared or anxious about. We have to accept it's a regular part of life.

3. You don’t have courage unless fear is present.

So in Harry Potter, they say Voldemort's name, because doing so makes him a person, not this unspeakable menace.

My challenge to you today, if you're feeling scared, is just to simply name it:

Say it aloud.
Write it down.
Give it space to be a real thing.

And then breathe, and remember you're alive, despite feeling that fear that seemed so terrifying to acknowledge.

Episode 8: Facing the Unknown

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 22:00:00 -0400

Let's talk about certainty, and uncertainty, and how you can't have one without the other!

Both certainty and uncertainty are part of the 6 human needs (disclaimer, learned this from Brad Bizjack who learned it from Tony Robbins).

This means we will, as human beings, ALWAYS look for ways to fill these needs, consciously or unconsciously.

We NEED certainty to survive emotionally, but we also NEED uncertainty to have an interesting and engaging life.

One doesn't come without the other.

So when you're faced with the uncertainty and the unknown surrounding say, I don't know...CANCER; what the flip do you do then?

Tune in to hear some thoughts about this topic!

Episode 7: Sorting Hats (and when to set them down)

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about releasing our identity as defined by the hats we wear, what we do, and practicing self love and grace in tricky seasons!

Episode 6: Creating a morning routine

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0400

Morning Mastery E BOOK LINK to follow along in this episode!

https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5fb81b247f165b94ed6386b6 subscribe and get it emailed to your inbox!

Are you a morning person? Or a night owl?

Regardless here’s a few starting the day tips to help you out!

1. Morning routine (early or not) starts the night before! I set my alarm (and my resolve) BEFORE I go to bed. I set out my pd book, my planner, my journal on the kitchen table: My alarm is across the room. This means I have to get up to turn it off.

2. My alarm goes off and I get OUT of bed. I keep my house colder so I get to my workout clothes, which I like to have laid out ahead of time, and get dressed. This helps me wake up more—I am usually also drinking 16 oz of water from my jug while I do this.

3. Get OUT of my room! This makes it easier to resist crawling back in my warm bed!

4. Mix up my supermom juice and throw together an easy breakfast—I like food. I don’t like choices in the morning so I try to prep ahead or just keep it simple. Oatmeal and yogurt was today. Egg muffins are a fav.

5. Listen to a short personal development Video from Darren daily. This is something that’s easy to keep my mind flooded with positive when I wake up cuz I’m a crank!

6. Get GRATEFUL! Write down something I’m grateful for OR intentionally meditate on a moment I’m thankful for.

7. Read from a personal development book for 10 min and look for key takeaways.

8. Tune into my vision for the day, the month, the year—I just mentally set my intentions.

9. Say my affirmations aloud. Sometimes I have one I focus on. Sometimes it’s a few. But this is practicing my mindset muscle.

10. Push play on my workout to flood my body with those happy endorphins!

These are tips for getting up and just being intentional with starting my day, instead of always flying by the seat of my pants. Which—disclaimer! I still do sometimes!

Tune in to listen for some morning routine tips and hacks!

Episode 5: Summer Mojo!

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 17:00:00 -0400

How do you stay motivated, especially in summer? I've been getting this question a lot lately! So I figured we could talk about it!

I have to stop relying solely on willpower and hack my habits.

Having a set plan and people to do it with has been helpful before. My plan for June is to do the let’s get up dance and resistance training but I may incorporate other workouts cuZ I’m missing weight training.

I also commit to getting up early like crazy early when I have kids activities. When my kids start swim team I’ll be up at 530 minimum to workout and then get a power hour in for my biz. It's not forever. it's for a couple months, 4-5 days a week. it's a short term sacrifice for a long term goal.

It’s also my job to show up so that takes out some of the question of if or when I show up. I just know I need to and will. I’ve done it this long and I know the benefits far out weigh the discomfort.

IF YOU’RE SOMEONE WHO IS FEELING IN A SUMMER SLUMP, YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY THERE. You’re not helpless.

YOU CHOOSE HOW YOU WANT TO SHOW UP. AND IF YOU WANT TO FEEL DIFFERENTLY, THEN DO DIFFERENTLY.

Tune in to listen for how to do differently and get in to a good groove:

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST LINK: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4DkPMF44tpWCcpcaG53qIK?si=IWuf1uozRV-1ZZvMfkZ9qw

Episode 4: PPD, Miscarriage (my story part 1)

Tue, 04 May 2021 09:00:00 -0400

Taking a walk down memory lane to walk you through some of the seasons of life I've gone through, some of what helped me in those seasons, and why I want to continue sharing what I have learned through all the crazy--why I look back now and see those difficult seasons as a gift that I have to use and grow from now.

Episode 3: Butterbeer, quidditch, and joy

Sun, 02 May 2021 09:00:00 -0400

Let's chat for a short couple minutes about pockets of joy--taking note of them, and making sure to plan for them on purpose!

TED TALK SHAWN ACHOR HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE: https://youtu.be/GXy__kBVq1M

Episode 2: Nox v Lumos Maxima (aka Dimmer switches)

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Danet shares how the concept of a "dimmer switch" in your life can make all the difference when confronted with curve balls and ups and downs.

Video referenced: Off, On What's In Between-- listen to parts 1, 2 and 3 if you can! but Parts 1 and 2 are the best!

https://youtu.be/Pnw5GjpTJJM

Thanks so much for joining me on the podcast! See you next episode!

Episode 1: Welcome to the Podcast! Expecto Patronum!

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Welcome to my first episode! Talking today about casting a life patronus to boost your confidence, happiness, and resilience levels--if you're not familiar with Harry Potter and the themes--well you're about to find out!

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE, share your favorite moment with your tribe on Instagram, tag me @myjoyfitjourney—and if you have a moment, leave a me a brief review! Until next time—keep creating your pockets of joy every day!

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights, names, or ideas created by JK Rowling in the Harry Potter series. I just am a HUGE fan and feel like so many of the themes can apply big time to life!