Breaking Through

By Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

What's Breaking Through about?

Breaking Through is a monthly narrative podcast produced by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Tomorrow's Leaders group. Breaking Through is meant to help Tomorrow's Leaders members develop professionally, foster community, and learn from others through rich storytelling, while also recruiting and engaging new members.

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Breaking Through episodes:

11.06.2020
Rob Ronnenberg: Shaved Legs and New Lungs
For our final episode of Breaking Through, we caught up with Rob Ronnenberg from the small town of Byron, Minnesota. We chatted about his wife Jennifer, her double lung transplant, their Brady Brunch-style family, being a CF spouse, and their...
03.25.2020
Somer Love: A Message Of Love We Can All Use Right Now
With the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic changing our way of life this month, Breaking Through opted to feature one of our most popular episodes in our show's history, our interview with Somer Love. Somer is an adult living with CF,...
02.26.2020
Jaci Strube: Pulling It All Off
Jaci and her husband Drew are traveling from Iowa to Washington, DC this week attending their fifth March on the Hill, advocating for their son Major, who has cystic fibrosis. But Jaci’s story is so much more than just her...
01.29.2020
MaryBeth Hyland: Pulling Wisdom From A Wound
MaryBeth Hyland believes that we all share the desire to know and return to our authentic selves, at work, home and within. She has built a sterling reputation as a builder of corporate cultures and a so-called "Millennial Specialist". Following...
12.18.2019
Jon Norberg: Finding Your Passion
When he was 2-years-old, his parents had the good sense to put a tennis racket in Jon Norberg's hand. Jon would go on to spend his youth traveling around the world as a top-ranked tennis player, first as an amateur...
11.26.2019
Julie Riedy: You Don’t Choose Who You Love
Julie Riedy first learned about cystic fibrosis in college when she met the man who she would one day marry, Chad. On this month’s episode, Julie explains that you don’t choose who you love, but that you get to love...
10.30.2019
Tré LaRosa: All Our Stories are Important
Tré LaRosa and his sister Alyssa, were both born with cystic fibrosis, but experienced the disease differently. Alyssa struggled much of her life and lost her battle in March 2018. Tré graduated college, lives on his own, and is now...
09.25.2019
Tyler Gill: Humble and Hungry
Philanthropy is a way of life in Northwest Arkansas. But even among a sea of professionals who make a habit out of giving back, Tyler Gill stands out for his unique ability to fundraise. In his professional life, the Oklahoma...
08.29.2019
Kate & Joe O'Donnell: Honoring the Past, Building a Future
Kate O'Donnell never met her brother Joey--he died of cystic fibrosis a few months before she was born. Soon after Joey died in 1986, Kate’s parents, Joe and Kathy, celebrated his memory by starting the Joey Fund and dedicated their...
07.31.2019
Corie King: From Nanny to Noodles
Corie King always knew she wanted a job that would help people but didn't know exactly what that would look like. That uncertainty extended into her early career, when she took a detour as a nanny for Kennedy, a child...
06.26.2019
Drew Strube: Action Gets Action
When his son Major was diagnosed with CF, Iowa native Drew Strube's world began to grow. From local fundraising events to March on the Hill, Drew and his wife Jaci jumped in with both feet to help find a cure...
05.29.2019
Jack Goodwin: Live Happy
Three years ago, Jack Goodwin met someone who changed his life. He began a whirlwind romance with a woman named Mallory Smith, a writer with CF, and that romance lasted the rest of her life. But when she died, Jack...
04.24.2019
Somer Love: Spreading Love in the World
For this month's episode, we interview an adult living with CF, the 2019 VLC Alex Award winner and the all-around amazing Somer Love! As a force of positivity in the world of cystic fibrosis, Somer has dedicated her life to...
03.28.2019
Getting Ready for the Volunteer Leadership Conference, CF on the Silver Screen, and March On The Hill
In this month's jam-packed episode, Tomorrow's Leaders take center stage from San Diego to Hollywood to Washington, DC. As this hits your feed, there's a good chance you're on your way to the annual VLC conference in San Diego --...
02.28.2019
Emily Bridges: What I Learned From My Best Friend's Fight, And How it Shaped Me
This month, we meet up with Emily Bridges, Marketing Director for Choate Construction in Atlanta, who has helped build a culture of giving in her workplace centered around cystic fibrosis. That urge to help find a cure came from her...
02.01.2019
Tomorrow's Leaders: 1-2-3 Join Me!
In our first show of 2019, we hear from Tomorrow's Leaders all over the country as we celebrate the inaugural Tomorrow's Leaders 1-2-3 Join Me Day, which took place on January 23. In Community Picks, we take a look at...
12.19.2018
Ted Baker: Flying Your Flag High
This month, we visit with QALO co-founder and CEO Ted Baker, whose active lifestyle brand started as a niche product -- silicon wedding bands -- and is now growing by leaps and bounds. QALO -- which stands for "Quality, Athletics,...
11.23.2018
A Different Kind of Bicoastal
Kristen Brockman caught up with episode 3 star Reef McIntosh to ask him some follow-up questions about how he splits time between Southern California and Hawaii, how he created a brand for himself, and how he coaches up-and-coming surfers (and...
11.12.2018
Reef McIntosh: Waves of Consequence
Some people say you can boil life down to a handful of moments that define our direction. Reef McIntosh attributes his big break as a pro-surfer for Quicksilver to one wave that catapulted him into superstardom. Taming it was one...
10.02.2018
The Tables Are Turned
In this month's half-episode, our own Kristen Brockman is in the hot seat as she gets interviewed by Episode 2 guest Richelle Meiss. Kristen shares her own CF story, about her sister Kelsi, who was the inspiration for Kristen's "UnBucket...
08.30.2018
Richelle Meiss: Go All In
This month, Breaking Through catches up with Los Angeles-based comedic, writer and actor Richelle Meiss. Four years ago, Richelle ditched the idea of law school, threw all her earthly possessions into her Honda Civic and headed out for LA to...
07.31.2018
Our First Half Episode! (What's a 'Half Episode'?)
On this month's installment of Breaking Through, we bring you our first half episode, where we share some news and answer your questions. We talk to the Tomorrow's Leaders national chair Jessica Coniglio about why we're doing this podcast, and...
06.27.2018
Ray Poole: It's That Moment
In the first episode of Breaking Through, we talk to Ray Poole, who arrived at his breakthrough moment after being there for his wife through her double lung transplant. Breaking Through is a monthly narrative podcast produced by the Cystic Fibrosis...
06.27.2018
It's That Moment
In the first episode of Breaking Through, we talk to Ray Poole, who arrived at his breakthrough moment after being there for his wife through her double lung transplant. Breaking Through is a monthly narrative podcast produced by the Cystic Fibrosis...

What's Breaking Through about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Breaking Through episodes:

Rob Ronnenberg: Shaved Legs and New Lungs

Somer Love: A Message Of Love We Can All Use Right Now

Jaci Strube: Pulling It All Off

MaryBeth Hyland: Pulling Wisdom From A Wound

Jon Norberg: Finding Your Passion

Julie Riedy: You Don’t Choose Who You Love

Tré LaRosa: All Our Stories are Important

Tyler Gill: Humble and Hungry

Kate & Joe O'Donnell: Honoring the Past, Building a Future

Corie King: From Nanny to Noodles

Drew Strube: Action Gets Action

Jack Goodwin: Live Happy

Somer Love: Spreading Love in the World

Getting Ready for the Volunteer Leadership Conference, CF on the Silver Screen, and March On The Hill

Emily Bridges: What I Learned From My Best Friend's Fight, And How it Shaped Me

Tomorrow's Leaders: 1-2-3 Join Me!

Ted Baker: Flying Your Flag High

A Different Kind of Bicoastal

Reef McIntosh: Waves of Consequence

The Tables Are Turned

Richelle Meiss: Go All In

Our First Half Episode! (What's a 'Half Episode'?)

Ray Poole: It's That Moment

It's That Moment