Recently, a good friend of mine started up a new business including a blog called The Martini Lounge. It is filled with articles on a variety of topics with the goal to focus on celebrating life. I encourage you to check it out! One aspect of her blog is to feature interesting people by asking them a few fun questions. She asked me to be the first feature interview. As we talked, she encouraged me to use her idea for my blog. I decided to take her up on it!
And so, I will be starting a series called Coffee Talk. I will be reaching out to interesting people I know, who have faced their own health challenges (or their family members have) and use their experience to help make the world a better place. This will be a fun way to hear some new perspectives, maybe give you a laugh or two and introduce you to some new resources.
Here is my interview with a few added questions of my own.
Name: Shari Berman
Profession: Speaker, Patient Advocate, Blogger: Best Life After Cancer
Coffee or tea?
Coffee first thing in the morning for me and then tea the rest of the day. I am a big tea drinker, and have been since I was in middle school. I have enough tea in my house to open a small tea shop.
What stirs your passion?
I’m obsessed with healthcare. It’s so hard to navigate the system as a patient (in addition to the stress a health condition can cause). I am all about including the patient voice – understanding patients’ wants and needs- and partnering with doctors to improve the patient experience.
What has shaken your faith?
Healthcare has become so transactional and dysfunctional and we have lost the human connection and compassion we desperately need.
Who (dead or alive) would you like to have a cup of coffee with?
Oprah, hands down! I have been trying to think of ways to meet her for years.
What’s your poison? (The trait you most deplore in yourself?)
Self-doubt is something I have always struggled with. When I first started blogging I was terrified and wondered who would want to read my articles and would they think I was crazy for thinking I had something important to say.
Funniest or stupidest thing anyone ever said to you?
Is cancer contagious? (This was right after my boss found out she was sitting next to me at lunch)
What do you see as the ultimate buzzkill?
When people say you can’t do something.
How do you want to be remembered when the glasses are raised? (Three words)
Thoughtful, compassionate, insightful
What’s your happy place? What helps you heal?
Newry, Maine where I have a home in the mountains. I grew up in the country and feel most relaxed and surrounded by nature.
What is your signature drink? (We’d love to know what you like to drink, but what we REALLY want to know is your favorite expression or motto?)
Sparkling wine (Prosecco, Cava). It is classy and bubbly, yet approachable and relatable.
And… “We should appreciate and celebrate life every day.”
How has cancer changed you?
As much as I like to be in control, I realized early on that there are certain things I cannot control. I was a health nut and an exercise fanatic when I got sick with cancer the first time, yet I still got sick. So, I now think about what I can control, which often is how I react to a crisis and move forward.
Also, I try my hardest to live intentionally because I don’t want to have any regrets. I try not to take life for granted. Life moves quickly and isn’t always easy to do but I find strength from others who have found positive ways to move on when faced with challenges.
Let me know if you or someone you know would like to be featured in this series!
