You Don’t FIND Joy… But she’ll tell you how to mine it.

What happens when life doesn’t go as planned?

Today we sit down with Sarrah Strimel Bentley — founder of Damn Good Yoga, former Broadway performer, and a voice for resilience — to unpack a story filled with unimaginable challenges and incredible strength.

From losing her husband during pregnancy, to battling breast cancer, navigating IVF, and ultimately building her family through surrogacy… Sarah’s journey is a testament to what it means to keep going when everything falls apart.

But this episode isn’t just about survival — it’s about learning how to choose joy, even in the hardest seasons of life.

We dive into:

• Fertility struggles and the emotional reality of IVF
• What cancer taught her about living fully
• The power of support systems and love
• Why “mining for joy” is a daily practice
• How pain can transform into purpose

Learn more about Keesha: https://keeshascott.com/

Follow Sarrah: https://www.instagram.com/sarrahstrimelbentley/

00:00 Introduction
01:26 Who Is Sarah Bentley?
03:00 The Moment That Changed Her Life
03:10 How Cancer Changed Her Perspective
06:06 What It Really Means to Choose Joy
08:53 Mining for Joy in Hard Seasons
09:20 Losing Her Husband While Pregnant
10:35 Fertility, Family, and Uncertainty
15:13 Cancer Diagnosis and Motherhood Questions
16:04 IVF and the Emotional Toll
17:19 IVF During a Double Mastectomy
20:00 Fear, Love, and Relationship Strength
22:33 Finding Hope Later in Life
23:51 The Surrogacy Journey
26:17 Social Media Judgment and Misunderstanding
27:26 Motherhood Is a Series of Letting Go
29:11 Turning Personal Pain Into Purpose
30:28 When She Was Ready to Share Publicly
32:04 How Her Honesty Helped Other Women
33:50 What She Wants Women in Hard Seasons to Hear
35:19 Daily Habits That Help Her Choose Joy
36:34 Alcohol, Numbing, and Missing the Good
38:20 Sobriety and Choosing a Better Life
39:07 Final Reflections and Where to Find Sarah