What happens when creative power, marketing wisdom, and startup energy collide? In this episode, Jay sits down with Julie Matzen to explore the journey from agency leadership to startup empowerment. With honesty, laughter, and depth, they unpack the emotional architecture of business: the fear of becoming irrelevant, the power of validation, and the truth that failure isn’t a wall—it’s a lens.The conversation moves from the dangers of letting AI write your ad copy to the Gen X struggle of feeling unseen, all the way to the radical idea that access to wisdom should be affordable. Through shared metaphors, unapologetic insights, and unexpected childhood stories, Julie and Jay remind us that the real power in business—and in life—comes not from polish, but from presence."Don't let AI be your art. The paintbrush doesn't get the credit."Bio: Julie Matzen is the co-founder of Boarderline and founder of the MayDay Agency. With over 25 years in branding and digital strategy for top-tier brands, Julie now focuses on democratizing access to expert advisors for startups and mid-sized businesses. Through Boarderline, she's building a platform that empowers emerging entrepreneurs to gain real insights from the minds that helped build the world's biggest brands.📌 Key Takeaways✨ [00:14:00] – "AI can automate, but it can't validate."🧘 [00:20:00] – Insight without experience is dangerous—it’s just expensive noise.🔥 [00:36:00] – Gen X has the tools. It's time to show younger generations how to use them.🤖 [00:03:00] – AI is a mirror, not a muse.💭 [00:48:00] – Validation isn’t weakness. It’s water for the seed.📚 Chapter Timestamps🚢 [00:00] – Shifts and Ships in Business🧠 [05:00] – The Wisdom of Gen X and the Value of Lenses🪞 [10:00] – AI as Mirror, Not Muse🎭 [15:00] – The Fear of Aging Out💬 [21:00] – Validation, Vulnerability, and Starting Over📉 [30:00] – Marketing That Misses the Point🎯 [38:00] – Emotional Triggers and Human Branding📚 [48:00] – The Value of Experience🌀 [55:00] – Final Metaphors and MessagesCTA for the ShowIf this episode resonated, subscribe, review, and share it to help grow the Tree of Knowledge 🌳We explore the human experience through tragedy and triumph—with laughter, candor, and depth.🌟 Be cool and keep learning. 🌟CTA for the GuestLearn more about Julie Matzen at:https://theboarderline.cohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-matzen-1696aa52Support her mission to make expert advice accessible to small businesses and emerging founders.🚀 Welcome to The Tragedy Academy PodcastDiscover stories of resilience, redemption, and the human spirit.🎧 Podcasting Made Easy: https://bit.ly/3LSCBh5📲 Riverside Recording Studio: https://bit.ly/3ImjNWD👕 Grab Jay’s Gear: https://bit.ly/431MLD5📘 Bookshop Picks: https://bit.ly/42pPHcv✅ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEUXqlregig6vcrvuVNGlKg📱 Follow UsInstagram: https://instagram.com/tragedyacademystudios.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/tragedyacademystudiosTwitter: https://twitter.com/TragedyacademystudiosTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tragedyacademystudios💖 Support UsPayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YMU9L4TBWX6AGBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tragedyacademy
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What happens when creative power, marketing wisdom, and startup energy collide? In this episode, Jay sits down with Julie Matzen to explore the journey from agency leadership to startup empowerment. With honesty, laughter, and depth, they unpack the emotional architecture of business: the fear of becoming irrelevant, the power of validation, and the truth that failure isn’t a wall—it’s a lens.The conversation moves from the dangers of letting AI write your ad copy to the Gen X struggle of feeling unseen, all the way to the radical idea that access to wisdom should be affordable. Through shared metaphors, unapologetic insights, and unexpected childhood stories, Julie and Jay remind us that the real power in business—and in life—comes not from polish, but from presence."Don't let AI be your art. The paintbrush doesn't get the credit."Bio: Julie Matzen is the co-founder of Boarderline and founder of the MayDay Agency. With over 25 years in branding and digital strategy for top-tier brands, Julie now focuses on democratizing access to expert advisors for startups and mid-sized businesses. Through Boarderline, she's building a platform that empowers emerging entrepreneurs to gain real insights from the minds that helped build the world's biggest brands.📌 Key Takeaways✨ [00:14:00] – "AI can automate, but it can't validate."🧘 [00:20:00] – Insight without experience is dangerous—it’s just expensive noise.🔥 [00:36:00] – Gen X has the tools. It's time to show younger generations how to use them.🤖 [00:03:00] – AI is a mirror, not a muse.💭 [00:48:00] – Validation isn’t weakness. It’s water for the seed.📚 Chapter Timestamps🚢 [00:00] – Shifts and Ships in Business🧠 [05:00] – The Wisdom of Gen X and the Value of Lenses🪞 [10:00] – AI as Mirror, Not Muse🎭 [15:00] – The Fear of Aging Out💬 [21:00] – Validation, Vulnerability, and Starting Over📉 [30:00] – Marketing That Misses the Point🎯 [38:00] – Emotional Triggers and Human Branding📚 [48:00] – The Value of Experience🌀 [55:00] – Final Metaphors and MessagesCTA for the ShowIf this episode resonated, subscribe, review, and share it to help grow the Tree of Knowledge 🌳We explore the human experience through tragedy and triumph—with laughter, candor, and depth.🌟 Be cool and keep learning. 🌟CTA for the GuestLearn more about Julie Matzen at:https://theboarderline.cohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-matzen-1696aa52Support her mission to make expert advice accessible to small businesses and emerging founders.🚀 Welcome to The Tragedy Academy PodcastDiscover stories of resilience, redemption, and the human spirit.🎧 Podcasting Made Easy: https://bit.ly/3LSCBh5📲 Riverside Recording Studio: https://bit.ly/3ImjNWD👕 Grab Jay’s Gear: https://bit.ly/431MLD5📘 Bookshop Picks: https://bit.ly/42pPHcv✅ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEUXqlregig6vcrvuVNGlKg📱 Follow UsInstagram: https://instagram.com/tragedyacademystudios.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/tragedyacademystudiosTwitter: https://twitter.com/TragedyacademystudiosTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tragedyacademystudios💖 Support UsPayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YMU9L4TBWX6AGBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tragedyacademy
Better Off Bald: Andrea Wilson Woods on Advocacy, Grief & Healing Through Action
The Tragedy Academy
52 minutes
6 months ago
Better Off Bald: Andrea Wilson Woods on Advocacy, Grief & Healing Through Action
In this episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast, Jay speaks with Andrea Wilson Woods, author, patient advocate, and founder of Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea shares the harrowing, heart-opening story of raising her sister from childhood through a terminal liver cancer diagnosis, and how that experience became the catalyst for lifelong advocacy and education. 🎙️Andrea’s story is not just one of loss — it’s one of legacy. At just 22, she became the legal guardian of her 8-year-old sister Adrienne, raising her through the chaos of addiction and dysfunction. When Adrienne was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and passed away at 15, Andrea didn’t turn away — she turned purpose into motion. From starting a nonprofit in her sister’s name to translating reams of medical data into life-saving layman’s terms, her story is one of fierce love, resilience, and patient-centered revolution. 💛Jay brings his signature blend of compassion, insight, and lived experience to this raw, honest conversation about family roles, medical burnout, and the importance of agency in the healthcare system. Whether you’re navigating grief, caregiving, or simply trying to understand better how to support those who are — this episode will move you.🔑 Key Takeaways:🧬 [00:03:00] Andrea raised her sister after their mother relinquished custody, while still a college student.💔 [00:09:59] Adrienne’s cancer diagnosis came suddenly, changing both their lives in just six hours.📚 [00:22:52] With no existing resources, Andrea taught herself hepatology by reading medical textbooks and dictionaries.🎗 [00:25:28] Fatty liver disease, not just alcohol, is now one of the leading causes of liver cancer in the U.S.🧠 [00:44:42] Andrea shares how AI is beginning to improve cancer diagnostics — but human advocacy is still critical.👤 Guest Bio:Andrea Wilson Woods is a writer, speaker, and health advocate who founded Blue Faery in honor of her sister Adrienne, who passed away from liver cancer at just 15. Andrea’s memoir, Better Off Bald, chronicles their journey with both tenderness and clarity. A relentless advocate for patient education and healthcare equity, Andrea has become a national voice for those navigating complex diagnoses with limited resources.📣 CTA for Show:If this episode resonates with you, or you know someone who’s faced a diagnosis, caregiving, or losing a loved one, please share it. 🙏 Subscribe to The Tragedy Academy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, and help us amplify stories that matter. Because truth deserves a mic — and healing deserves a stage.🌀 Be cool. And keep learning. 🌱📣 CTA for Guest:To support Andrea’s work or learn more about liver cancer advocacy, visit bluefaery.org. You can also purchase Better Off Bald on Amazon or Audible.Follow her journey and advocacy through Blue Faery on social platforms, because her voice is changing how we care, one patient at a time. 💙🔚 Conclusion:This week’s episode reminds us that tragedy doesn’t just transform lives — it gives rise to missions. Andrea’s path from sister to caregiver to advocate is a masterclass in finding meaning in heartbreak and building something beautiful in its place.🎧 Tune in next week for another powerful episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast.🌟 Be cool and keep learning. 🌟
The Tragedy Academy
What happens when creative power, marketing wisdom, and startup energy collide? In this episode, Jay sits down with Julie Matzen to explore the journey from agency leadership to startup empowerment. With honesty, laughter, and depth, they unpack the emotional architecture of business: the fear of becoming irrelevant, the power of validation, and the truth that failure isn’t a wall—it’s a lens.The conversation moves from the dangers of letting AI write your ad copy to the Gen X struggle of feeling unseen, all the way to the radical idea that access to wisdom should be affordable. Through shared metaphors, unapologetic insights, and unexpected childhood stories, Julie and Jay remind us that the real power in business—and in life—comes not from polish, but from presence."Don't let AI be your art. The paintbrush doesn't get the credit."Bio: Julie Matzen is the co-founder of Boarderline and founder of the MayDay Agency. With over 25 years in branding and digital strategy for top-tier brands, Julie now focuses on democratizing access to expert advisors for startups and mid-sized businesses. Through Boarderline, she's building a platform that empowers emerging entrepreneurs to gain real insights from the minds that helped build the world's biggest brands.📌 Key Takeaways✨ [00:14:00] – "AI can automate, but it can't validate."🧘 [00:20:00] – Insight without experience is dangerous—it’s just expensive noise.🔥 [00:36:00] – Gen X has the tools. It's time to show younger generations how to use them.🤖 [00:03:00] – AI is a mirror, not a muse.💭 [00:48:00] – Validation isn’t weakness. It’s water for the seed.📚 Chapter Timestamps🚢 [00:00] – Shifts and Ships in Business🧠 [05:00] – The Wisdom of Gen X and the Value of Lenses🪞 [10:00] – AI as Mirror, Not Muse🎭 [15:00] – The Fear of Aging Out💬 [21:00] – Validation, Vulnerability, and Starting Over📉 [30:00] – Marketing That Misses the Point🎯 [38:00] – Emotional Triggers and Human Branding📚 [48:00] – The Value of Experience🌀 [55:00] – Final Metaphors and MessagesCTA for the ShowIf this episode resonated, subscribe, review, and share it to help grow the Tree of Knowledge 🌳We explore the human experience through tragedy and triumph—with laughter, candor, and depth.🌟 Be cool and keep learning. 🌟CTA for the GuestLearn more about Julie Matzen at:https://theboarderline.cohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-matzen-1696aa52Support her mission to make expert advice accessible to small businesses and emerging founders.🚀 Welcome to The Tragedy Academy PodcastDiscover stories of resilience, redemption, and the human spirit.🎧 Podcasting Made Easy: https://bit.ly/3LSCBh5📲 Riverside Recording Studio: https://bit.ly/3ImjNWD👕 Grab Jay’s Gear: https://bit.ly/431MLD5📘 Bookshop Picks: https://bit.ly/42pPHcv✅ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEUXqlregig6vcrvuVNGlKg📱 Follow UsInstagram: https://instagram.com/tragedyacademystudios.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/tragedyacademystudiosTwitter: https://twitter.com/TragedyacademystudiosTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tragedyacademystudios💖 Support UsPayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YMU9L4TBWX6AGBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tragedyacademy
