The Reroute

What does it mean to be bold, tenacious and resilient? How can we be sure to live our life on purpose each and every day? And what does snacking have to do with that? Well it all comes together on today's episode. I'm joined by Ashley Nickelsen, owner of B.T.R. Nation-a snack food company on a mission to change the snacking game. Listen in as she shares what inspired her to start the company, how cancer has touched her life, and some insights into the snacking industry in the U.S. (and why it desperately needs a reroute!). There is so much packed into this episode, you don't want to miss it!

We're discussing:

• Shifting the conversation to how food makes us feel (NOT how we look!)
• What B.T.R. means and how it honors the legacy of her parents
• The quality ingredients her company uses and why making nourishing food taste GOOD is important to her
• Ashley's experience as a two-time caregiver and dealing with the loss of both parents
• The lack of accessibility to better-for-you foods and what she hopes to change about that
• Why Ashley advocates for therapy for all and feeling comfortable with your care providers
• How allowing yourself to feel your feelings can be the BEST start to moving past them
• What simple gestures can mean the most to those in the thick of it
• How we handle the haters on social media
• Plus even more!

You can follow B.T.R. Nation on Instagram @btr.nation and TikTok @btr.nation

Shop B.T.R. products on their website or on Amazon!

I'd be honored if you'd consider donating to the Kasey Altman Research Fund through Rein in Sarcoma: http://www.reininsarcoma.org/donation-form/ (Be sure to select "Kasey Altman Research Fund" in the Named Funds dropdown) A donation size of any amount can make a huge difference! Thank you!Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

Some jokes just land better when you've had personal experience with the topic right? Well let's just say with today's guest, if you've ever been in sales, this one's for you! Today, I'm joined by Ross Pomerantz, a.k.a. Corporate Bro. If you haven't seen his stuff and you've ever worked in corporate sales, you're missing out on some great comedic relief. Listen in as Ross gives us the scoop on how he started out, why he does what he does, and how he brings cynicism and satire into the corporate sales world.

We're discussing:

• How selling WELL can get you anywhere you want to go
• Who Corporate Bro represents and which groups don't seem to "get it"
• The resilience anyone can learn from selling and how that's helped Ross overcome the different criticisms and controversies his brand has faced
• The planning and thought it requires to be intentional with your brand
• When Ross decided to burn the bridge with corporations, but how that brought new opportunities he never could've expected
• Why it's NEVER been harder to do comedy
• And many more insights into why we're all selling, ALL the time

Follow Ross:

Instagram @Corporate.Bro

Linkedin @Corporate Bro

And watch on YouTube @Corporate Bro

Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

Today we're getting a little funky! I went live on TikTok to answer any burning questions and recorded it for you all to listen on here, too. I'm answering questions on the fly about my cancer experience, my perspective on human resilience, my personal life, and navigating COVID while undergoing cancer treatment. I'm even dropping some details about my next project! I'd love it if you join me for this special Q&A session. You asked, I answered. Let's go!

I'm sharing:

• The do's and don'ts of supporting friends or family members with cancer plus an example of what NOT to say from my own experience
• How cancer has affected my relationship with Darius and some tips on what's helped us
• My take on what COVID took from me and others with chronic illness
• The qualities I look for in an oncologist (then and now)
• Why I'm fueled by joy and what it took to get to this place (hint: it's not by ignoring the pain)
• One thing I wish I could tell younger Kasey
• And the best medicine I ever could have given myself

I'd be honored if you'd consider donating to the Kasey Altman Research Fund through Rein in Sarcoma: http://www.reininsarcoma.org/donation-form/ (Be sure to select "Kasey Altman Research Fund" in the Named Funds dropdown) A donation size of any amount can make a huge difference! Thank you!

Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

We all know that the health care system in the U.S. is flawed in a lot of ways, and it doesn't always do the best job of serving those who need it most. Today's guest, David Panzirer, is passionate about changing that—particularly for those with type 1 diabetes. David is not only one of my mentors but also a trustee of a multibillion dollar charitable foundation dedicated to saving and improving lives called The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. He's the father of two daughters with type 1 diabetes and has dedicated his work full-time to changing the face of care for patients like his girls. Join us today as we dive into what he and his foundation are doing to change the paradigm of treatment for patients with this underserved chronic disease, barriers to care, and THIS super important (but often overlooked) piece of the treatment puzzle.

We're discussing:

• Why being a pain in the ass to your doctor can be a good thing
• The impact of reclassifying diabetics into new categories (insulin and non-insulin dependent vs types 1 and 2)
• Which two areas of healthcare the COVID pandemic actually helped
• Why the healthcare system should care about the lived experiences of those with chronic illness
• The important role a personalized medicine approach could play for patients with chronic illness, in particular
• Being a voice for the voiceless

Learn more about David and his work:

https://helmsleytrust.org/

Morgan's book, "Actually I Can": https://www.amazon.com/Actually-Can-Diabetes-Unexpected-Empowerment/dp/0578653931

I'd be honored if you'd consider donating to the Kasey Altman Research Fund through Rein in Sarcoma: http://www.reininsarcoma.org/donation-form/ (Be sure to select "Kasey Altman Research Fund" in the Named Funds dropdown) A donation size of any amount can make a huge difference! Thank you!

Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

I'm completely honored by the outpouring of love and support from you as I go through this journey, and I so appreciate everyone that has connected with me along the way. So join me in today's episode for a clinical update of where I'm at RIGHT NOW in my cancer treatments, a big emotional pivot for me, and answering more of your questions!

I'm breaking down:

• How things are going on my clinical trial treatment and the next steps from here
• An update on my personalized neo-antigen vaccine treatment, and the data on other rhabdomyosarcoma patients
• How my job at Google has been impacted by my diagnosis and treatment
• What it was like being a woman in tech
• My biggest advice on how to deal with heartbreak, and a rarely talked about glimpse into my past relationships
• Reflections on how my loved ones have supported me
• The strange — but hopeful — place I've arrived at in my cancer journey
• My outlets to cope with everything going on
• Long-term/permanent side effects from chemo
• My favorite Reroute episode!

I'd be honored if you'd consider donating to the Kasey Altman Research Fund through Rein in Sarcoma: http://www.reininsarcoma.org/donation-form/ (Be sure to select "Kasey Altman Research Fund" in the Named Funds dropdown) A donation size of any amount can make a huge difference! Thank you!Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

We're all going to die, right? Today's guest wants you to know that the body is built to die, though, and it shouldn't be something to be feared and avoided talking about. (And that it can actually be quite beautiful!) I'm so excited to bring you this conversation with Hospice Nurse Julie, an amazingly inspiring nurse with decades of experience helping patients at the end of their lives, first from an ICU perspective and now from a hospice one. She's now also a TikTok influencer using the platform to spread awareness and education about death and why our bodies are actually built for it, and in this episode she's shedding a light on what it's like to be a patient in hospice care, why it's importance to normalize death, and how hospice is so much more than where you go to die.

We're diving into:

• The miraculous thing Julie witnessed as a nurse that shifted her career
• Dispelling the common misconceptions about being under hospice care
• How someone in hospice often actually feels THIS surprising thing (and why)
• The biggest lessons Julie has learned from her patients
• Her thoughts on an afterlife
• Why some people accept death and others don't
• Some of the most profound experiences Julie has had with her patients in hospice care
• What happens at the end of life in hospice care vs in the ICU
• Her biggest advice for you to better prepare for accepting your own mortality, or that of a loved one
• How to support someone in hospice (and what NOT to say to someone going through it)

Find Julie on TikTok or IG:https://www.tiktok.com/@hospicenursejulie https://www.instagram.com/hospicenursejulie/ I'd be honored if you'd consider donating to the Kasey Altman Research Fund through Rein in Sarcoma: http://www.reininsarcoma.org/donation-form/ (Be sure to select "Kasey Altman Research Fund" in the Named Funds dropdown) A donation size of any amount can make a huge difference! Thank you!

Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur (and under 30 years old, no less!)? Today I'm excited to bring you an epic conversation with Luke Sophinos, a 27 year old serial entrepreneur, CEO and founder of CourseKey, and Forbes 30 under 30 alumni to share his journey and biggest tips with you. In this episode, Luke and I break down what it really takes to be a successful entrepreneur, challenge the societal narratives around college, and share some of his biggest life and business lessons with you.We're exploring:

• The hardest hurdle to reaching your big goals (and to make it happen)
• How the skills and lessons Luke learned as an athlete translated into entrepreneurship
• His top tips for putting in the work towards your goals—even when you feel unmotivated
• Our biggest lessons from mentors in our lives
• Luke's nontraditional view on mentorship
• How his company, CourseKey, is changing the face of vocational education
• THESE 3 simple words of advice from Luke if you want to become an entrepreneur

I'd be honored if you'd consider donating to the Kasey Altman Research Fund through Rein in Sarcoma: http://www.reininsarcoma.org/donation-form/ (Be sure to select "Kasey Altman Research Fund" in the Named Funds dropdown) A donation size of any amount can make a huge difference! Thank you!Follow Luke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lukesophinos

Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG: https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

You've got questions, I've got answers! On today's episode, I'm bringing you answers to the questions you submitted on Instagram recently. Living with cancer, especially as a 25 year old, isn't something a lot of people talk about. So join me today as I answer YOUR questions on navigating cancer that doesn't have a clear end date, how it affects my relationships and mental health, the ONE thing I wish more people knew about cancer, and more.

I'm sharing:

• What gets me through the toughest days
• The things I would tell my high school self, if I could go back and talk to her
• What surprised me the most about sharing my story online
• My mental health journey from a pre-diagnosis eating disorder to post-diagnosis anxiety, depression, and PTSD and how I take care of my mental health
• The biggest "fuck you" we can give to the shithole that is cancer
• How I feel the sucky parts and still seek out joy
• My experience with changes in fertility, intimacy, and periods since my treatment started
• How Darius and I maintain a healthy relationship throughout a cancer diagnosis

Check out Darius's and my interview with Alula: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-IaLkvi5i/

Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

How do you overcome the hard shit in your life? Everyone reacts differently, but today I want to share with you one inspiring story from former middleweight boxing world champion, Paul "The Ultimate" Vaden. Aside from being one of the most successful boxers in his era, he's also overcome unthinkable adversity, famously including a match when he knocked out an opponent who never woke up. In this episode, he shares with us what inspired him at a very young age to declare he would become the world boxing champion, his biggest piece of advice for recent former athletes, and how he took control and got back in the ring after a tragedy threatened his career.

We're exploring:

• The individual who fueled his dream of becoming the champion
• How his focus has translated into his life beyond boxing
• The sacrifices he made over and over again to become a world champion
• What it takes to avoid an identity crisis when you're beginning your "next act" after leaving a career as an athlete
• How physical and mental reminders can help us move forward while remembering the past
• Who inspired him to get back in the ring after his match
• Paul opens up about the ability to cope with tragedy and move forward
• And so much more!

Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]

There is so much misinformation out there surrounding COVID and so much of it can be confusing and leave you wondering, "what's REALLY going on?" But this pandemic is undeniably taxing on the hospital system, health care workers, and patients alike, so I wanted to bring you this incredible conversation and some answers from an ICU nurse who has been in the front lines of this pandemic from the beginning. Whitney Donley is an incredible, award-winnning ICU nurse at one of the biggest hospitals in San Diego, California, and in today's episode she's sharing her experience working in a hospital during this pandemic, busting myths and misconceptions about it, and the reality she wishes everyone knew about.We're exploring:

• What it's been like as a health care worker the last 2 years
• The BIGGEST thing patients and health care workers have been struggling with in the ICU
• How Whitney stays sane during this time
• The most surprising fact she wants you to know about
• Whitney's experience with the Omicron variant
• My own experience as a cancer patient during the pandemic
• Her experience as a BRCA1 previvor and how she's helping other breast cancer survivors and previvors
• And more!

Connect with Whitney on IG: https://instagram.com/whittop https://www.instagram.com/breastinpeace_/ Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasey.altman

Follow me on IG so you don't miss a thing! https://instagram.com/the.reroute

Want to collab? Email me at [email protected]