In this deeply personal episode of The Alchemy Podcast, Doug sits down with Carli Grampp for one of the most vulnerable conversations the show has ever had. With Doug recently diagnosed with brain cancer and Carli having endured her own battle with stage four cancer, the two explore what happens when life suddenly becomes fragile.

Carli opens up about the emotional toll of treatment, the fear of losing her future, the strain cancer placed on her marriage, and how facing death forced her to rebuild her relationship with herself. Doug shares the surreal reality of hearing his own diagnosis and how mortality has shifted what matters most.

This episode is not about motivation clichés or pretending pain is beautiful. It is about fear, faith, grief, identity, and the strange clarity that can come when everything you thought was guaranteed disappears.

It is raw, honest, and profoundly human.

• 00:00 — Intro: why this conversation matters right now
•  02:15 — Doug on hearing the words “brain tumor”
•  06:30 — Carli’s first symptoms and the moment life changed
•  11:40 — How treatment impacts the body, emotions, and relationships
•  18:20 — Living with fear of death while trying to stay present
•  24:10 — The pressure cancer can put on marriage
• 31:00 — Identity collapse: who are you when life stops?
• 37:45 — Doug on what matters now more than ever
• 44:20 — Spiritual growth through suffering
•  50:10 — How gratitude changes during crisis
•  56:30 — Carli on living with stage four cancer long term
• 01:03:00 — Why presence becomes everything
• 01:08:20 — Final reflections: what they hope others learn from pain

Follow Doug:

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

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

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: @AlchemyPodwithDougCartwright

Follow Carli Grampp:

• IG: @carli.noelle.grampp