Balm in the Burnout – Episode 11: Joy as Mutual Aid in Dangerous Times, with Kelly Wilson of Do’gooders MN

Host: Megan Hadley, MA, NBC-HWC
Guest: Kelly Wilson, founder of Do'gooders MN

Episode Summary:

In this inspiring episode, host Megan Hadley sits down with Longfellow South Minneapolis neighbor, community organizer, and chronic joy-instigator Kelly Wilson. Kelly shares how personal burnout, systemic harm, and collective grief led her to create Do’gooders MN—a grassroots group spreading radical joy, mutual aid, and connection across Minneapolis.

From free LGBTQ+ weddings to hoodie drives and neighborhood networks, Kelly shows what becomes possible when we stop waiting and start working with who we have and what we’ve got. It’s incredible what we can accomplish together when we organize.

Key Topics:

• Kelly’s background as a wedding photographer, connector, and “get-it-done” human
• The origin of Do’gooders MN and the creation of “Unabashed: A Celebration of Love and Pride”—a free day-long event hosting 12 LGBTQ mini-weddings
• Mutual aid as joy, resistance, and nervous system support
• Chronic illness, grief, and estrangement as part of this activist’s journey
• Collaboration, delegation, and asking for help without apology
• Burnout in community care, and the necessity of rest and boundaries
• The ripple effect of micro-actions: hoodie drives, gifting events, and more
• How to build something without a plan, a budget, or official credentials
• “Zooming in” instead of being crushed by the big picture

Key Takeaways:

• You don’t need a five-year plan to make an impact—start small and start local
• Mutual aid thrives on collaboration, not perfectionism
• Rest is not abandonment—it’s strategy and survival
• Everyone has something to contribute, including you
• Joy can be its own form of protest and protection

Connect with Kelly Wilson & Do’gooders MN:

• Email: ktrippler@msn.com
• Facebook (Personal): Kelly Wilson
• Facebook (Group): Do’gooders MN
• Website: dogoodersmn.com
  
  

Support the Podcast:

Balm in the Burnout is listener-supported. Contribute to the work or to the Community Scholarship Fund: Venmo: @HHW-LLC

Learn more about host Megan Hadley’s coaching, workshops, and offerings at:
harvesthealthandwellbeing.com

Thank you for listening - we would appreciate a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Balm in the Burnout, Episode 10

What Cancer Taught Me About Burnout with Talaya Dendy

Show Notes:
Welcome back to Balm in the Burnout, the podcast for humans navigating personal and systemic burnout in demanding, under-resourced, or misunderstood roles. In this episode, host Megan Hadley speaks with Talaya Dendy—cancer doula, patient advocate, speaker, and creator of the podcast Navigating Cancer TOGETHER—about what illness teaches us about burnout, identity, care, and the systems we’re forced to move through.

Talaya brings a perspective we haven’t yet explored on the podcast: the emotional labor of serious illness, survivorship, systemic harm, and the burnout of being both the “strong one” and the support system when you're the one in need of care.

In This Episode:

• Talaya’s cancer diagnosis and what it revealed about identity, isolation, and navigating healthcare.
• The role of a cancer doula and why emotional care is just as necessary as medical treatment.
• Burnout as it shows up in illness and long-term caregiving—and the signs we tend to ignore.
• Examples of the body’s warning signals: fatigue, irritability, shutdown, brain fog, and emotional exhaustion.
• How systemic harm, mistrust, and erasure impact clinical trials, treatment, and health outcomes.
• Integrative health practices (e.g., tai chi, journaling, meditation) and why they matter alongside Western medicine.
• Being an introverted leader and advocate, and finding power in quiet influence.
• The importance of stillness, glimmers, and realistic self-care when rest feels impossible.
• Shifting from “I have to be strong” to “I deserve support, too.”

Key Takeaways:

• Illness exposes what’s broken—not just physically, but systemically.
• Burnout can live in the body long before the mind acknowledges it.
• Caregivers, patients, and survivors deserve emotional support—not just logistics and treatment plans.
• Rest, advocacy, and community are not luxuries; they’re survival tools.

Connect with Talaya:

• Community Forum Waitlist:
  https://www.ontheotherside.life/forum-waitlist
  
  
• Website: https://www.ontheotherside.life
  
  
• Podcast: Navigating Cancer TOGETHER
  https://podcast.ausha.co/navigatingcancertogether/
  
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talayadendy/
  
  

Follow her work, access support resources, and stay connected to upcoming programming, including her private online community for patients, caregivers, and survivors.

Support the Show:

Balm in the Burnout is listener-supported. You can contribute to the community scholarship or leave a tip on Venmo @HHW-LLC to help others access subsidized services.

Connect with Host Megan Hadley:

Learn more about burnout prevention and resiliency support through Harvest Health & Wellbeing. https://hhwellb.com

If this episode resonated:

Subscribe, share it with someone who needs to feel less alone, and leave a review—it helps these conversations reach the people who need them most.

Balm in the Burnout, Episode 9: Scaling Without Sacrificing Yourself, with Tina Rexing of T-Rex Cookie

Show Notes:

Welcome to Balm in the Burnout, the podcast for cross-sector humans navigating personal and systemic burnout. In this episode, host Megan Hadley talks with entrepreneur Tina Rexing, founder of the nationally recognized women-owned business T-Rex Cookie, about burnout in the food industry, entrepreneurship as an immigrant daughter, and what it takes to grow something big without losing yourself.

In This Conversation:

• Tina’s leap from corporate life to launching T-Rex Cookie, and how a business plan (and a lot of grit) helped her land her first investment
• The evolution of T-Rex Cookie—from farmers’ markets to national features on The Today Show, Good Morning America, TimeOut Magazine, and more
• Why Tina says “no” to opportunities that compromise her values or brand identity—even when the world wants smaller cookies
• Honest talk about entrepreneurship burnout, toxic kitchen culture, and why asking for help and setting boundaries are essential
• How Tina’s parents and sons became part of the business, and the emotional labor of mixing family and legacy
• Navigating growth and funding while staying in control—choosing investors who believe in your mission instead of diluting your values
• Lessons on separating work and identity, protecting joy, and not turning every passion into a job

Key Takeaways:

• “Do what you love—but be careful what you turn into work.”
• Scaling a business doesn’t have to mean self-sacrifice
• Burnout in entrepreneurship is real—and rest, boundaries, and community are non-negotiable
• Immigrant hustle, family dynamics, and funding all shape the burnout experience differently than in other sectors

Guest Links:

T-Rex Cookie: Website

Tina Rexing: LinkedIn

• Find T-Rex Cookie their shop in Eagan, at MSP Airport, Terminal 1, at retailers across Minnesota, and local direct shipping via their website.

Connect with Host Megan Hadley:

Support the Show: Balm in the Burnout is listener-supported. Contribute to our community scholarship or leave a tip on Venmo @HHW-LLC.

Visit Harvest Health and Wellbeing for coaching, workshops, and mindfulness-based burnout support.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: Welcome to Balm in the Burnout

00:37 – Meet Tina Rexing: From corporate to cookie entrepreneur

01:57 – T-Rex Cookie’s rise: National features and business milestones

03:29 – Staying grounded: Yoga, physicality, presence practices

05:46 – The leap: Business planning, farmers' markets, early growth

09:45 – Grit, family values, and the immigrant work ethic

11:36 – Saying “no” and protecting your brand identity

14:05 – Burnout in entrepreneurship and the food industry

17:14 – Family labor, legacy, and sacrifice in small business

20:35 – Growth, investment, and choosing aligned funders

24:20 – Takeaways: What happens when hobbies become jobs