More Than Who Needs Me
Rediscovering yourself while caring for those who depend on you.
Where did I go while I was taking care of everybody else?
That question is at the heart of a journal I'm creating called More Than Who Needs Me. I started thinking about it when I realized how often I described myself by the people and work depending on me.
I'm a daughter. A mother. Rob's wife and business partner. The CEO of NexGeneration Learning. I love those parts of my life. But somewhere along the way, I stopped asking what I wanted to create.
When life keeps adding to the list
In the fall of 2024, Rob and I started writing children's books and piloted a middle school classroom program for NexGeneration Learning. We've been in school buildings ever since. I love seeing students connect with our stories and discover what they can build.
Then my mother passed away in December 2025. After she died, my dad stayed with us, and Rob and I became his caregivers. This summer, I lost my uncle, too.
Grief doesn't wait for an open space on your calendar. Neither does caregiving. There are appointments to manage, decisions to make, and days when you're trying to figure out what someone you love needs next.
And the school year keeps moving. We prepare lessons, meet with partners, and show up for students. I love that work, too. But I know what it's like to reach the end of a full day and realize I've given my attention to everyone's plans except my own.
For a while, I thought writing about caregiving was something I'd do later. I had an idea for Caregiver CEO, a place where I could talk honestly about building a business while caring for family. The idea kept coming back, even when I couldn't see where it would fit.
I know I'm not alone
The 2025 Caregiving in the US report estimates that 63 million Americans—nearly one in four adults—provide ongoing care to a family member or someone close to them. Many are also working, raising children, or dealing with financial strain.
I think about the people behind that number. How much planning and worry can sit beneath an ordinary question like, "How's your week going?"
I also think about how quickly a caregiver's own interests become the first thing to move when the day gets crowded. You tell yourself you'll get back to them when things settle down. But what if they don't settle down anytime soon?
Finding a way back to my own work
Starting Caregiver CEO has been one way I've answered that question for myself. It gives me a place to share what I'm learning, including the parts I haven't figured out yet.
I didn't need a perfect schedule to begin. Sometimes I capture a thought between other responsibilities. I use AI to organize my notes or help me start a draft, and then I make sure the words sound like me. Rob and I share what we can at home and in the business. I'm also learning to ask for help with a specific task before I'm overwhelmed.
Some weeks, I make progress on a book or a post. Other weeks, my family needs more of me. I'm trying to be honest about both.
If you're caring for someone and an idea keeps coming back to you, write it down. Tell someone you trust. Give it a little time when you can. You don't have to know exactly what it'll become.
I'm still a daughter, a mother, a wife, and a CEO. Caregiver CEO is helping me remember that I'm also a woman with things of my own to say and make.
That's the woman I was looking for when I asked, "Where did I go?"
Source: Caregiving in the US 2025, National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.
