October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in this deeply personal episode of Chapter Two, I share my own journey with breast cancer — from the moment I found a lump at 38, to my diagnosis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer at 39, to the life-changing lessons I carry with me today.

I open up about what it was like to go through treatment while navigating the end of my marriage, raising young children, and living through the uncertainty of COVID. I talk about the hardest parts of my journey — losing my hair, creating a “just-in-case” binder for my kids, and facing fears I never imagined — and the turning point that led me to create Chapter Two.

This episode is for anyone who has been touched by breast cancer, or who is rebuilding after life’s hardest chapters. My hope is that my story shines light, offers encouragement, and reminds you that even when life falls apart, you can create something meaningful from the pieces.

💡 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The moment I found my lump and knew something was wrong
• Being diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer despite being young, healthy, and with no family history
• Why losing my hair was one of the hardest parts of treatment
• The binder I created for my kids in case I didn’t make it — and why it still sits on a shelf today
• How breast cancer became the turning point that inspired Chapter Two
• Lessons I learned about strength, resilience, and rebuilding life after cancer

📌 Resources & Links

• Connect with me on Instagram: amy.chaptertwo
• Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today 💕

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and review Chapter Two. Your support helps more women find the encouragement and hope they need in their own rebuilding journeys.

Episode Summary: In this episode of Chapter Two, we explore one of the hardest but most powerful parts of rebuilding: letting go. Whether it’s releasing a toxic relationship, loosening your grip on an old identity, or simply allowing yourself to move forward after burnout or illness, letting go is what makes room for healing and growth.

I’ll share parts of my own journey through divorce, breast cancer, and personal transformation, and how I learned that clinging to what felt familiar was actually keeping me stuck. By leaning into the season of change — much like the trees shedding their leaves in fall — I discovered the unexpected freedom and renewal that comes with release.

You’ll learn:

• Why letting go feels so difficult (and why that’s normal)
• How release can create space for new beginnings in life, leadership, and love
• Gentle, practical ways to begin letting go — even if you’re afraid of the unknown
• Journal prompts and reflection tools to help you embrace change with intention

If you’re in a season of transition — whether after breast cancer, a toxic marriage, or simply realizing you’ve outgrown an old chapter — this episode will remind you that letting go is not losing. It’s the beginning of becoming.

Resources & Next Steps:

• Journal prompt: What season of life am I stepping into as I let go?
• Connect with me on Instagram or LinkedIn to share your reflections.
• If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend who needs hope in a season of change.

✨ Remember: The trees are already showing us how beautiful letting go can be. Maybe it’s your turn, too.

Isolation can feel heavy, but community has the power to heal. In this episode, I share my personal journey of finding a breast cancer support community — even while surrounded by loving family and friends — and why that connection changed everything.

We’ll explore:

• Why isolation can be so harmful, both emotionally and physically
• The science behind how connection improves health, lowers stress, and boosts healing
• Real-life examples of community in action, from small daily gestures to support circles
• Practical steps to build or strengthen your own circle of support

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt alone in their journey and is looking for connection, understanding, and the reassurance that they’re not the only one.

Takeaway: Healing happens in circles, not silos. You don’t have to navigate your next chapter alone — there’s power in community.

Listen, reflect, and share with someone who might need to hear they are not alone.

Healing doesn’t always look like long retreats or hours of journaling. Sometimes it’s as small as three deep breaths before a meeting or stepping outside for a minute of fresh air.

In this episode of Chapter Two, I’m sharing five simple grounding practices you can take with you anywhere. These quick resets don’t take more than a minute — but they can shift how you move through your day.

✨ Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why small pauses matter more than big, dramatic efforts
• 5 easy tools you can use anytime, anywhere
• How to bring calm into ordinary moments like waiting rooms, car rides, or busy workdays

Healing isn’t about perfection. It’s about remembering you have gentle tools to return to when life feels heavy.

📌 Try one today and let me know how it feels — I’d love to hear your favourite quick reset.

Burnout doesn’t happen because we’re weak. It happens because we’ve been taught to ignore our limits. In this first episode of Chapter Two, we explore why saying no isn’t selfish — it’s sacred.

Early in my career, I believed that saying yes made me a team player. In reality, it led to burnout, resentment, and exhaustion. The first time I said no without apologizing, everything shifted. No didn’t close doors — it opened space for the things I truly loved.

In this episode, I’ll share: ✨ A personal story about learning to say no ✨ Why boundaries are leadership, not weakness ✨ Practical ways to start saying no with confidence ✨ A guided reflection to help you find freedom in your own no

Takeaway: Saying no doesn’t make you difficult. It makes you free. And your yes is sacred — save it for what truly lights you up.

Reflection Prompt: Write down one thing you’ve been saying yes to out of guilt, fear, or obligation. Then ask yourself: What would it feel like to say no instead?

Let’s Connect: 🌸 Instagram: @amy.chaptertwo 🌸 LinkedIn: Amy Smart 🌸 Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that her no is powerful too.

Welcome to Chapter Two: Reclaim. Rebuild. Rewrite.

This podcast is for women who are ready to rise after burnout, breakups, breast cancer, or big life transitions.

In this short intro episode, you’ll hear what Chapter Two is all about, why I created this space, and how it can support you as you step into your next chapter.

Each week, you can expect:

✨ Honest reflections from the messy middle of rebuilding

✨ Practical tools and gentle guidance for navigating change

✨ Conversations that remind you you’re not starting over from scratch — you’re starting over from experience

Because your story isn’t over. In fact, this chapter might just be your most powerful one yet.

I’m so glad you’re here. 💜