In this powerful episode of The Alchemy Podcast, Doug sits down with Josh Hardman for a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like two men comparing notes from the same storm. Both facing a glioblastoma diagnosis, they open up about what it actually feels like to hear the words that change everything.

Josh shares the moment his wife confirmed his diagnosis, the emotional collapse that followed, and the decision he made in the middle of that pain: to fight with everything he has. From combining Western medicine with holistic approaches to building his own protocol, he walks through how he’s choosing to take ownership of his life in a situation most people feel powerless in.

But what makes this episode different is the shift in perspective. Josh talks about how cancer stripped away the noise, anxiety, pressure, and distractions and replaced them with something far simpler: presence. Mornings feel different. Time feels different. Life feels different.

Doug and Josh explore what happens when urgency becomes real, how priorities instantly reorder, and why facing death can sometimes bring you closer to actually living.

If you’ve been following Doug’s journey and want to support him during this time, you can do so here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/dougs-fight-against-brain-cancer/cl/s?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp20_t1&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=es_US

This episode is not just about illness.

It’s about clarity, presence, and what remains when everything else falls away.

• 00:00 — Intro: two men facing the same diagnosis
• 02:40 — Josh on the moment he heard “you have brain cancer”
• 06:10 — Emotional collapse: the first hours after diagnosis
• 10:30 — Choosing to fight: mindset vs. statistics
• 14:50 — Building a personal protocol: Western + holistic approach
• 20:15 — Taking ownership in a situation you can’t control
• 26:40 — How cancer removes trivial anxieties
• 31:20 — Seeing life differently: the shift in perception
• 36:10 — Presence: mornings, stillness, and appreciating simple moments
• 42:00 — The role of family and commitment in the fight
• 48:30 — Fear, uncertainty, and learning to sit with both
• 54:10 — What actually matters when time feels limited
• 59:40 — Redefining success and urgency
• 01:04:20 — Doug and Josh on living fully, not just surviving
• 01:08:00 — Final reflections: choosing how to show up

Follow Doug:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/doug_cartwright/ 

Join the Alchemy Accelerator: https://www.alchemysalescoaching.com/ 

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: @AlchemyPodwithDougCartwright

Follow Josh Hardman:

• IG: @joshua.hardman