EPISODE · Apr 13, 2026 · 25 MIN
#180 | How Denise Brown Is Redefining Support, Leadership, and the Caregiving Experience
from Contagious Culture · host Kyle S. King
In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Denise Brown, caregiving educator, community builder, and founder of Caring Our Way. Denise shares how a “flashlight moment” more than three decades ago led her into the caregiving field and shaped her commitment to supporting both family caregivers and direct care professionals. She explains why caregiving is not simply about meeting one person’s needs. It requires navigating complicated systems, managing emotional stress, coordinating resources, and carrying responsibilities that are often invisible to everyone else. Kyle and Denise also discuss the lack of career pathways for direct care professionals, the importance of emergency planning, turning lived experience into service, the need for trained listeners, and how the right support can reduce stress, improve quality of life, and help caregivers avoid future regret. Key Topics: Denise’s “flashlight moment” and entry into caregiving Why family caregivers and direct care workers both need support The lack of career pathways for direct care professionals What happens when a caregiver’s body ages out of the work Turning caregiving experience into coaching and leadership Recognizing the talent and soft skills in direct care work Why family caregivers navigate so many disconnected systems The need for community-based caregiving infrastructure Emergency planning for families during weather events Turning lived experience into a career or volunteer opportunity Why caregivers need a good listener How support reduces stress and improves quality of life Preventing regret during and after the caregiving experience Misconceptions about who becomes a caregiver Why “everything else” often creates more stress than the diagnosis The Caregiving Listener Project and Giving Thursday Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:15 — Meet Denise Brown 01:15 — Denise’s mission and caregiving work 01:50 — The “flashlight moment” that changed her career 02:30 — Starting at a congregate meal site 03:30 — Aging forward and supporting older adults 04:00 — The two sides of caregiving support 04:30 — Why direct care work lacks a career ladder 05:00 — Moving direct care professionals into coaching roles 05:30 — What happens when the body ages out of caregiving work 06:30 — Creating meaningful next steps for caregivers 07:15 — What social impact leaders can do 08:00 — Recognizing the talent inside the direct care workforce 08:45 — The soft skills required to enter someone’s home and care well 09:30 — Why caregivers should become navigators and guides 10:00 — Building community infrastructure for family caregivers 10:30 — Emergency planning during weather events 11:30 — Creating community-based caregiving support 12:30 — The exact work Denise is leading 13:00 — Turning lived experience into training 13:30 — Helping former caregivers become coaches and support-group leaders 14:30 — Turning pain into purpose and service 15:00 — Measuring impact through stress and quality of life 15:30 — Why every caregiver needs a good listener 16:30 — How support changes the way caregivers show up 17:00 — Preventing regret after a caregiving experience 17:30 — Misconceptions about who caregivers are 18:00 — Caregiving across age, gender, and life stage 18:30 — The question Denise wishes people asked 19:00 — What really causes caregiver stress 19:30 — Insurance, scheduling, resources, and family expectations 20:00 — Navigating 19 different systems 20:45 — Why the caregiving ecosystem is so complex 21:15 — Caring Our Way 21:30 — The Caregiving Listener Project 22:00 — Giving Thursday and other initiatives Denise's Bio Denise Brown is a caregiving educator, community builder, trainer, and founder of Caring Our Way, an online community that supports family caregivers and direct care professionals. For more than three decades, Denise has worked to educate, support, and equip people navigating caregiving experiences. Her work focuses on turning lived experience into coaching, mentoring, support-group leadership, and volunteer opportunities that help others feel less isolated and more prepared. Through initiatives such as the Caregiving Listener Project and Giving Thursday, Denise helps caregivers access emotional support, community, training, and practical resources. -- Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts 📞 Schedule Your Call Here 🖥️ Join the #1 Community for Leaders and Change Makers 👉🏽 Apply to Be in the Growth Alliance 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King
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In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Denise Brown, caregiving educator, community builder, and founder of Caring Our Way. Denise shares how a “flashlight moment” more than three decades ago led her into the caregiving field and shaped her commitment to supporting both family caregivers and direct care professionals. She explains why caregiving is not simply about meeting one person’s needs. It requires navigating complicated systems, managing emotional stress, coordinating resources, and carrying responsibilities that are often invisible to everyone else. Kyle and Denise also discuss the lack of career pathways for direct care professionals, the importance of emergency planning, turning lived experience into service, the need for trained listeners, and how the right support can reduce stress, improve quality of life, and help caregivers avoid future regret. Key Topics: Denise’s “flashlight moment” and entry into caregiving Why family caregivers and direct care workers both need support The lack of career pathways for direct care professionals What happens when a caregiver’s body ages out of the work Turning caregiving experience into coaching and leadership Recognizing the talent and soft skills in direct care work Why family caregivers navigate so many disconnected systems The need for community-based caregiving infrastructure Emergency planning for families during weather events Turning lived experience into a career or volunteer opportunity Why caregivers need a good listener How support reduces stress and improves quality of life Preventing regret during and after the caregiving experience Misconceptions about who becomes a caregiver Why “everything else” often creates more stress than the diagnosis The Caregiving Listener Project and Giving Thursday Episode History 00:00 — Introduction00:15 — Meet Denise Brown01:15 — Denise’s mission and caregiving work01:50 — The “flashlight moment” that changed her career02:30 — Starting at a congregate meal site03:30 — Aging forward and supporting older adults04:00 — The two sides of caregiving support04:30 — Why direct care work lacks a career ladder05:00 — Moving direct care professionals into coaching roles05:30 — What happens when the body ages out of caregiving work06:30 — Creating meaningful next steps for caregivers07:15 — What social impact leaders can do08:00 — Recognizing the talent inside the direct care workforce08:45 — The soft skills required to enter someone’s home and care well09:30 — Why caregivers should become navigators and guides10:00 — Building community infrastructure for family caregivers10:30 — Emergency planning during weather events11:30 — Creating community-based caregiving support12:30 — The exact work Denise is leading13:00 — Turning lived experience into training13:30 — Helping former caregivers become coaches and support-group leaders14:30 — Turning pain into purpose and service15:00 — Measuring impact through stress and quality of life15:30 — Why every caregiver needs a good listener16:30 — How support changes the way caregivers show up17:00 — Preventing regret after a caregiving experience17:30 — Misconceptions about who caregivers are18:00 — Caregiving across age, gender, and life stage18:30 — The question Denise wishes people asked19:00 — What really causes caregiver stress19:30 — Insurance, scheduling, resources, and family expectations20:00 — Navigating 19 different systems20:45 — Why the caregiving ecosystem is so complex21:15 — Caring Our Way21:30 — The Caregiving Listener Project22:00 — Giving Thursday and other initiatives Denise's Bio Denise Brown is a caregiving educator, community builder, trainer, and founder of Caring Our Way, an online community that supports family caregivers and direct care professionals. For more than three decades, Denise has worked to educate, support, and equip people navigating caregiving experiences. Her work focuses on turning lived experience into coaching, me
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#180 | How Denise Brown Is Redefining Support, Leadership, and the Caregiving Experience
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