Becoming a widow at 44 forced Michelle Swanson to confront everything she had been avoiding… grief, money, motherhood, and mortality, with no plan and no pause.
Just seven months after marrying her husband Bill, Michelle was faced with the unimaginable: a sudden decline from colon cancer, a life-changing loss, and the emotional and financial chaos that followed. As she joins host Justin Weidenfeld, Michelle reflects on the caregiving decisions she made alone, the late-night Google searches, the resentment she carried, and the strength she didn’t realize she had.
What happens when you never talk about end-of-life wishes? What if no one ever taught you how to manage money, but now you’re responsible for everything? Michelle opens up about the structure Bill brought into their lives, the silence around his illness, and the hard lessons she learned about credit, independence, and starting over. She shares how grief rewired her relationship with money, how caregiving left her emotionally exhausted, and why she’s committed to helping others get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
From raising college-aged sons through the fog of loss to advocating for colorectal cancer awareness and teaching kids at Experience Camps, Michelle’s story is a reminder that love leaves a legacy, and so does planning ahead.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
01:45 Meet Michelle Swanson
03:06 Becoming a Widow at 44
07:09 Bill’s Colon Cancer Diagnosis
09:05 Losing a Spouse and the Aftermath
13:42 Who Bill Was Before the Diagnosis
18:07 Why Colonoscopies Matter
21:07 Delayed Health Decisions and Regrets
26:07 Caregiving and Emotional Strain
30:10 Support Systems and Survival Mode
33:00 Healing, Therapy, and Self-Discovery
38:40 How Money Was Talked About Growing Up
42:09 Financial Stability and Structure with Bill
45:25 Grieving the Loss of Routine
48:25 Life Insurance and Financial Planning After Death
Links
Colon Cancer Coalition: https://coloncancercoalition.org/
Connect with Michelle Swanson:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-swanson-b2476347/
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-weidenfeld/
Website: https://www.ironbridgewc.com/team/justin-weidenfeld
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.