I'll Have Another Podcast :: Lindsey Hein in the Momlight
Lindsey Hein might seem like your typical Rockstar Mom - raising four awesome boys, running a successful Podcasting business {you’ve probably heard her on I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein and The Illuminate Podcast}, and running {literally} marathons around the country. But what sets her apart is fear, or rather her struggle and ultimate commitment to facing and overcoming her fears.Lindsey admits fear-based anxiety was a paralyzing barrier for much of her life. “I have always dealt a lot with fear,” she said. When she saw fear was stopping her from living her best life, her ethos evolved to face her fears as they come, whether that be the fear of a major race, having a child, or even facing the possibility of breast cancer. “I don’t want [fear] to stop me from living my life and pursuing my dreams and goals,” explained Lindsey. “I just try to not be that person that hides when the anxiety arises.” And facing that fear, may have just saved her life.
At the age of 29, Lindsey was a new mother and finally coming face-to-face with one of her - and many of our! - major fears. Cancer.
Her grandmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40’s and then with ovarian cancer in her 60’s, at which time she was tested for the BRCA2 gene mutation and discovered she was a carrier. Everyone carries the BRCA genes, but those individuals who inherited mutations of the BRCA 1 or 2 genes carry a significantly increased risk for several types of cancer. While Lindsey’s female relatives got tested for the BRCA gene mutations, Lindsey was frozen with fear, until after the birth of her first son, when she lived in regular distress. It was during her breastfeeding experience dread took hold. “When you are nursing, your breasts change,” she said. “Clogged milk duct, engorged breasts, they can feel like lumps. You don’t know what’s normal.” Faced with the terror of the unknown idea of having cancer, she ran.
Lindsey has always been a runner, taking it up in her teens.
Sometimes she runs for pleasure (averaging five days a week) and others for competitive reasons (training for a marathon or attempting to beat a personal record), but this time she ran as a balm for her fear. Reflecting on that time, she laments she didn’t appropriately deal with her anxiety, instead she trained for and ran three marathons before her son’s first birthday. When she still couldn’t face the fear of testing for the BRCA gene mutation, she instead faced the fear of training for a ½ Ironman Triathlon (an open road and water race consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile run). “That experience, training for that made me face my fears,” she said. Just a couple days before the race, she got tested. “I found out I was positive. I cried a little bit, and thought, ‘Well, now I know.’ I was scared no matter what and not knowing is what was actually scary.”
Lindsey decided immediately she would move forward with a prophylactic mastectomy, a surgery during which all the breast tissue is removed to prevent the possible occurrence of breast cancer.
“We knew we wanted more children, and that was the smart decision.” Since then she and her husband Glen have had three more boys, now ages 1, 3, 5, and 7. In the next several years, she will move forward with a hysterectomy and oophorectomy to remove her uterus and ovaries for further cancer prevention.
WE'RE SMITTEN KITTENS WITH LOCAL MOMMAS DOING BIG THINGS: Like Jeannie Marrugo of Cafe Baby.
After facing the ultimate human fear - her mortality - Lindsey found facing other fears in her life, much easier. Four years ago, like most of America, Lindsey got caught up in the frenzy of the hit Podcast, Serial. That experience kicked off her love of Podcasts and search for the ideal show. “I wanted to find a show that would join my two big interests: family and running,” she said. “I couldn’t find a show that really was meeting that need.” She recalled complaining to her husband about this and hearing his encouragement to start her own. And just like that, her old friend, fear was back as she found herself unable to take that leap. “I was really paralyzed by the fear of not knowing how to begin.” Back then, Podcasts were a newer phenomenon, and the resources for new shows were not as readily available. But ultimately, she overcame and produced her first Podcast, I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein, focused on primarily focused on running, but with a healthy dose of her family life intermixed. “I launched in April 2016 and haven’t missed a Friday since.”
Today, Lindsey has recorded more than 100 episodes of I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein and has interviewed athletes and recently helped launch a brand-new show The Illuminate Podcast with fellow co-hosts, Kristin Srour, Sarah Holsapple, and Emily Reddington. It’s an interview-style show featuring people who are ‘spreading light and illuminating others.’ She also started her own Podcast Network SandyBoy Productions to support and promote other podcasts. Lindsey’s vulnerable and authentic voice is an inspiration to her listeners, whether they are a runner or an entrepreneur, a new mother, or recent graduate, her messages on fear, life, family, and aspirations are powerful and connect with listeners. She feels compelled to help others harness their fears to overcome life challenges.
When she’s not working, most days you can find Lindsey spending time with her boys, running, reading books, and binging her latest Netflix show {could she be anymore relatable?}.
She’s often asked how she involves her kids in running, she said that it’s not always easy. “No, they don’t always like to ride in the stroller with me! They complain and they whine and they want to get out, but you have to talk to them and make a game out of it.” Now that her older boys are bigger, they can ride bikes along with us as we run. She involves them as she can and they’ve become accustomed to running as a regular part of Lindsey and her husband’s lives. “Anytime I’m not wearing workout clothes, my kids ask why I’m so fancy,” she laughed. Lindsey might think her struggles with fear have shaped her experiences, but it’s her bravery that make her one tough mother! And by the way, here are a few of her favorites:
Favorite Podcasts: I listen to The Illuminate Podcast when I’m not the host. Worth Your Time, The Pop Cast with Knox and Jamie, You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes, The Goal Digger Podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield
Favorite Places to Run in Indy: Her midtown neighborhood or the Monon Trail. Staying close to home makes it easy to fit runs into her busy days
Favorite Indy-area Races: She never misses the 500 Festival Mini Marathon and Beyond Monumental Marathon
Tips for people wanting to get into running: Start slow (in distance, duration, and speed), invest in good shoes, and find a community of support
MORE DETAILS: You can catch Lindsey’s Podcasts, I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein and The Illuminate Podcast on your favorite Podcast streaming service. And this January she is excited to announce a partnership with the Athletic Annex to host training runs for local runners. Find Lindsey online at https://lindseyhein.com or on Instagram.
