The Sandwich Generation Pod

The Sandwich Generation is a smart, funny, and deeply human podcast about life in the middle—caring for both young children and aging parents. Hosted by two women living it in real-time, Robyn Frank and Eliesa Johnson bring raw honesty, real advice, hopefully some levity to every episode.

The Sandwich Generation Pod is a kids podcast hosted by Eliesa Johnson and Robyn Frank, with 24 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Eliesa Johnson and Robyn Frank hosts The Sandwich Generation Pod, a kids show with 24 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #10

  Episode 10: Can we choose how we Die? A Family's Story About Alzheimer's, VSED and Love with Sarah Longacre and Wendy Longacre Brown

  Jul 30, 20261h 18mS2

  Talking about death is uncomfortable. Talking about how we want to die? That's a conversation most of us avoid altogether. In this episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod , Eliesa and Robyn sit down with Sarah Longacre and Wendy Brown to share the extraordinary story of Cheryl Hauser, a wife, mother, and advocate whose Alzheimer's diagnosis led her to make a deeply personal end-of-life decision through Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED). Cheryl spent her final years documenting her journey, not to tell others what to do, but to encourage families to have honest conversations about end-of-life wishes, autonomy, and what it means to live—and die—with intention. Her story is now featured in the documentary The Cheryl Hauser Effect , helping families around the world navigate some of life's hardest conversations. Together, we explore Alzheimer's, advance care planning, VSED, caregiving, grief, and the courage it takes to talk openly about death before a crisis forces the conversation. This episode is thoughtful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. Whether you're caring for aging parents, facing a difficult diagnosis in your family, or simply wondering how to start talking about end-of-life wishes, Cheryl's story is one you won't soon forget. Takeaways Talking about death is hard, but talking about it matters. Knowing someone's wishes is one of the greatest acts of love. Every family deserves to understand their end-of-life options. Honoring someone's choices can be the hardest - and kindest - thing we do. Dignity, joy, and purpose can exist until the very end. VSED requires a lot of planning to make sure everyone is emotionally and logistically on board to preserve your loved one’s comfort and dignity through the process. Cheryl Hauser and her story are opening up the conversation about choosing how we die. No matter what the right choice is for you, plan the party, invite your people and live your fullest right up until the end. Links + Resources: Cheryl Hauser Effect Website Compassion and Choices Chemin - Wendy Longacre Brown’s end of life doula website and resources “Choosing to Die” Book by Phyllis Schacter Minnesota Death Collaborative - a group of integrative death professionals who serve our community in a variety of ways. Chapters 00:00 Introducing the sisters: Sarah and Wendy 03:53 An Intro to The Cheryl Hauser Effect Documentary 05:51 Who is Cheryl Hauser : A Mother's Legacy 28:30 Shifting Perspectives: Conversations About Mortality 31:08 Medical Aid vs. VSED: Understanding the Options 39:37 When is it time to VSED? How do you know? 44:02 The legalities of choosing VSED - a candid conversation 50:54 Setting the Stage for VSED - What's is really like? 01:06:16 TheCherylHauserEffect.com 01:08:29 Reaction and Final Thoughts from Robyn + Eliesa

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #9

  Episode 9: Lets talk Affordable In-home care, Fighting Insurance Claims and the Future of Eldercare in America with Neal K. Shah of CareYaya

  Jul 16, 202630 minS2

  What happens when we find someone on the internet who’s leading a grassroots movement in revolutionizing care in America?! We invite them to the pod! In this mini-episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod, Robyn and Eliesa welcome Neal K. Shah of CareYaya to the mic. Neal is reaching people far and wide through his wisdom and advice through social media, but did you also know that he’s *literally* changing the world with his company, CareYaya. CareYaya is changing elder care by connecting families with compassionate, motivated college students from top universities. (Think Harvard, Stanford, etc.) This provides affordable care for thousands of families, and introduces tens of thousands of students into the care workforce. It’s a win-win for everyone! In this episode, Neal shares all about his caregiving story, practical solutions and hopeful trends that are shaping the future of eldercare in America! This episode is proudly supported by our friends at Poppins Payroll! Takeaways CareYaya is changing how America Cares for it’s elders. Paying the caregiver directly massively cuts the cost of in home care. The younger generation is actually interested in caregiving - that is hopeful for us all! There’s going to be a demographic shift as the baby boomers age. Celebrities are speaking out more - and people in prominent positions about caregiving. Wherever we are feeling ‘lonely’ we realize - wow, this affects us all. Employers + Big companies have the ability to support middle-age employees by offering caregiving support. Sandwiched caregivers are doing A LOT. Take time to care for yourself - it’s no joke Links and Resources: CareYaya Poppins Payroll - the easiest way to pay your in-home employee. (Think in-home caregiver, your nanny or even your gardener!) Whoever keeps your home running smoothly, Poppins Payroll can simplify payroll, filings and taxes! Use code: SANDWICH to receive one month FREE! Counterforce Health AI Tool - Appeal your Health Insurance denial using this powerful tool! (For real!) NIH: National Institute on Aging Johns Hopkins Caregiving Research Family Caregiver Alliance - Great resource for Caregiver Support Groups Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Neal Shah 04:49 Innovations in Caregiving: Bridging Gaps and Creating Solutions 07:32 The Care Crisis in America - how can we create change? 11:42 The Role of Technology in Modern Caregiving 14:27 Channeling Guilt into Social Change 18:11 Demographic Trends and the Caregiving Crisis 19:13 Finding Hope 21:41 Supporting Sandwiched Caregivers 24:11 Systemic Changes for Caregiver Support

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #8

  Episode 8: The 'Only' Club: Being an only child and raising an only child in The Sandwich Generation

  Jul 2, 202654 minS2

  Being an only child means you learn independence early. You can entertain yourself, make decisions, and figure out anything on your own. But when you land in The Sandwich Generation ? That same independence can start to feel a whole lot like, “Wait… am I supposed to do ALL of this myself?!” In this episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod , Eliesa opens up about the unique reality of being an “only” while caregiving for aging parents, raising a family, managing grief, and carrying the emotional load without siblings to tag in. We’re also joined by Melissa Del Rosario, who shares her deeply personal story of sudden loss, shifting family dynamics, setting boundaries, and learning how to build your village when you don’t automatically have one built in. Together, we talk about the pros, cons, pressure, freedom, guilt, resilience, and dark humor that come with being an only child caregiver. If you’re an only child caring for aging parents, navigating family caregiving alone, or trying to survive the chaos of the Sandwich Generation without losing your mind, this episode will make you feel seen, understood, and hopefully laugh a little too. Because being an only doesn’t mean you’re supposed to do it all alone. Takeaways Only children are superheroes — but you don’t have to carry everything alone. Being an Only teaches you independence early. You learn to figure things out yourself. That independence can get rocked hard in The Sandwich Generation. In a family of three, losing one person changes everything and the whole dynamic shifts. Your relationship with a surviving parent often has to be rebuilt after loss. This takes time. Boundaries can feel hard as an Only because you feel responsible for everyone. A lot of only children become the emotional center of the family. That’s heavy. Our friends often become family when you’re an Only. We learn how to build our own village! Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Melissa Del Rosario 02:10 Melissa's Caregiving Story as an Only Child 05:42 Navigating Life and Death Decisions 07:54 The Pressure of Being an Only Child when it's life or death 14:23 Rebuilding Relationships After Loss 16:44 How the Family Dynamic shifts after loss when you are an Only Child 22:29 The Fragility of Codependency 27:28 How do Only Children deal with the guilt? 34:54 Your Friends can be closer than family when you're an Only 40:57 Finding Guidance and Advice when you are an Only 46:41 Empowerment in Independence 48:43 Rethinking Only Child Stereotypes 52:50 Outro

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #7

  Episode 7: Watch this B*tch! Comedian Susan Rice will not be ignored! Finding humor and respect in getting older.

  Jun 18, 202635 minS2

  How do we keep laughing when life feels so unbelievably heavy? Between raising the littles, caregiving for our aging parents, grief and the stress, surviving The Sandwich Generation feels like sometimes humor is the only thing holding it all together! In this episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod , Eliesa Johnson and Robyn Frank welcome nationally acclaimed comedian Susan Rice ( @funnyoldbag ) for a hilarious, honest, and surprisingly heartfelt conversation about aging, caregiving, self-worth, reinvention, and why it’s never too late to chase your dreams! Susan shares how she found her groove as a comedian in her seventies, what humor can teach us about resilience, and why getting older might actually be the moment we finally stop giving a fuck what everyone else thinks. We talk about finding joy in hard seasons, embracing aging with humor, and learning to laugh (or cry) at the chaos. If you’re caring for aging parents, feeling burned out in midlife, or just need permission to laugh through the mess, this episode is for you. Takeaways Sometimes the funniest people are carrying the hardest stories. It’s never too late to grow into yourself. Getting older can bring a surprising sense of freedom. Younger generations have so much to learn from older generations, we just need to connect more. There’s something powerful about hearing confident women in their 70s speak honestly and loudly. Aging doesn’t mean becoming invisible. You still deserve to take up space. Humor helps us survive hard things. We always need it. Links and Resources Susan Rice Comedy @ funnyoldbag on Instagram Susan Rice: Silver Alert - a new special! Don’t Tell Comedy Shows Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Comedian Susan Rice 01:15 Overcoming Challenges with Humor 12:15 The Resilience of Aging 13:18 Thriving in Your Seventies 15:53 Confidence and Visibility in Aging 21:35 Susan's Caregiving Story 23:43 Women, The World and why we always need Humor

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #6

  Episode 6: What NO ONE tells you about Assisted Living! with Melissa Stanton and Molly Mogren Katt of Carefree Cottages of Maplewood

  Jun 4, 20261h 8mS2

  <p>Why does Assisted Living cost so much? Why does every tour somehow end in a “pub”? And are the communities with the fancy brochures and gourmet desserts actually the best fit for your loved one?</p><p>In this episode of The Sandwich Generation Pod, Robyn and Eliesa sit down with Melissa Stanton and Molly Mogren Katt of Carefree Cottages of Maplewood for a candid (and surprisingly heated + funny) conversation about the realities of assisted living, from both sides of the tour.</p><p>We get into the real stuff: the questions families should be asking, how to make sens...

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on The Sandwich Generation Pod. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.