Episode 024 — Overcoming the Cancer Curveball with Joelle Kaufman

When cancer shows up, most people brace for the worst. In this episode of Overcoming Anything, host Anne Vryonides sits down with Joelle Kaufman, who reframes cancer as a curveball you can learn to recognize, adapt to—and ultimately crush. With equal parts candor and humor, Joelle shares how she navigated a multi-generational cancer legacy and transformed her own triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis into one of the happiest, most purposeful seasons of her life.

Joelle Kaufman is the author of Crushing the Cancer Curveball and the host of Kicking Cancer’s Ass, a podcast dedicated to helping people replace victim narratives with victory laps. Drawing on decades of lived experience and a 25-year career building technology companies in Silicon Valley, Joelle teaches a powerful “Curveball Approach” that helps people reclaim agency, build resilience, and create meaning—no matter what life throws.

Key Takeaways

· You never choose the pitch, but you always choose the swing: curveballs happen—your response is where your power lives.

· Waiting and uncertainty can be the hardest part—create practical “next steps” to reclaim control.

· “Happiness tripwires” aren’t fluff—they can change your physiology, your mindset, and your experience of treatment.

Timestamps
00:00 — Introduction: turning the cancer curveball into a catalyst

02:00 — Joelle’s mantra: “You never choose the pitch, but you always choose the swing”

05:30 — The hardest moment: telling her children the day before surgery

10:30 — Family legacy + a different relationship with cancer: “We talk about it to face it”

16:00 — The brutal reality of waiting—and how to stay out of “what if” spirals

19:30 — What felt impossible: traveling to see her son play college baseball during treatment

24:30 — The power of support systems + building “happiness tripwires”

30:00 — How to ask for help (without pity) and what not to send a cancer patient

36:00 — The turning point: PET scan clarity + treatment response

41:00 — The mindset shift: power over victimhood, rest as recharging

46:00 — Life after cancer: clarity, boundaries, purpose, and saying yes more

51:00 — Final advice: you don’t have to do this alone; strength doesn’t mean solo

Connect with Joelle

· Website: https://joellekaufman.com
· Podcast: Kicking Cancer’s Ass (listen wherever you get your podcasts)

· Substack: https://substack.com/@joellekaufman

Recommended Resources

· Crushing the Cancer Curveball, Joelle Kaufman https://a.co/d/iF4xoYx

· Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, Richard Carlson https://a.co/d/bWSOjxG

Credits
Host: Anne Vryonides
Guest: Joelle Kaufman

Disclaimer
The content in this episode is for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, medical, or mental health advice.

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❤️ Anne

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