In this raw and powerful episode of Married to the Startup, Alicia McKenzie sits down with Amri Kibbler—entrepreneur, community builder, and founder of HeyMama—to talk about the dual challenges of scaling a company and facing a life-threatening illness. After two successful acquisitions and a diagnosis of stage three colorectal cancer, Amri opens up about the role of self-care, the complexities of founder relationships, and how stress silently builds in the body.
Together, they explore what it means to maintain wellness while juggling motherhood, business, and health scares—and why knowing your normal might be the most important self-care tool of all.
You’ll also hear about Amri’s new podcast, The Space Between, a safe space for parents navigating cancer and its emotional fallout.
Keywords: entrepreneurship, cancer, wellness, community, relationships, self-care, stress management, health awareness, women empowerment
Top Takeaways:
- Building HeyMama was just the beginning of Amri’s entrepreneurial journey.
- A stage three cancer diagnosis at the height of her career changed everything.
- Operating at 60% capacity forced her to reevaluate how she shows up in business and life.
- The “stress cup” analogy helps her manage wellness and emotional load.
- Amri’s new podcast supports parents who are walking through cancer with kids in the picture.
- Understanding what “normal” feels like in your body can be a life-saving insight.
- Health maintenance is not optional—it’s foundational
Chapters:
00:00 | Meet Amri Kibbler: HeyMama Origins
01:48 | Entrepreneurship Meets Personal Adversity
05:37 | Cancer Diagnosis & Life at 60% Capacity
09:22 | Knowing Your Body & Health Awareness
11:22 | Friendships and Founder Dynamics
14:01 | Family, Children & Illness: Managing the Fallout
18:36 | Staying Aligned with Passion Through Hardship
20:22 | Selling a Company & Finding Support
21:23 | The Overflowing “Stress Cup” Concept
25:12 | Life After Cancer: What Wellness Looks Like
29:29 | Leading With Purpose Post-Treatment
33:35 | The Launch of The Space Between
38:46 | Why Younger People Are Facing Cancer More Often
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