Erika Behl is a coach based in Singapore. Originally from the US, she lived in Africa and Europe before eventually settling in Asia for the past 18 years. After spending almost two decades building a traditionally “successful” life, a breast cancer diagnosis in late 2017 catalysed a shift in her priorities. A year’s-long sabbatical, several attempts at starting a business, and a divorce later, she concedes that sometimes burning down what you don’t want is easier than finding what you do.

She writes for other deep-thinking independents, tells stories on stage, hosts the "Every Moment is a Choice" podcast, and will publish The Clear-Eyed Chemo Journal, a system for cancer patients to reclaim their agency, in 2026. Her work centres on approaches to writing one’s own path.

Join us as Erika shares:

• Her extraordinary and unusual journey as a young woman
• The shock of her cancer diagnosis at 40 years old with a young family
• Her coping strategies as an introvert and atheist
• The usefulness and also peril of ‘the cancer warrior’ persona
• Her subsequent full-blown breakdown after surviving cancer
• The devastating impact of not speaking her truth and the building pressure of wearing masks
• The power of choice and taking action
• How shopping around through therapy, meditation, somatic practices, connection and discovery paved the road to her recovery
• The rise of creativity through personal storytelling, writing, and podcasting
• How her journey led to helping others through coaching and her soon-to-be-released Cancer Journal: The Clear-Eyed Chemo Journal
• The seminal question - ‘Why not now?’

You can connect with Erika here:

Website

Linkedin

And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in!

I am so grateful for The Modern Crone team -

Theme music and season intro tracks:

Sam Joole:

www.samjoole.com

Cover design and photography

Luana Suciu

https://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/

Luanasuciu@gmail.com

Voice editing:

Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studios

maskmusicstudios@outlook.com

Studio and Reel production:

Kymberly Sng

kymberlysngcm@gmail.com

Marilyn Choong is a Singapore-born author and seasoned marketer with a deep passion for storytelling. She began writing articles on gratitude, mindfulness, happiness, and resilience years ago, and her journey as an author deepened after a life-changing spiritual awakening following her mother’s passing, an experience that reshaped her understanding of grief and the enduring bonds beyond the physical world.

Her book, The Thin Veil Between Us (published July 2024), became a #1 Straits Times bestseller and reached #1 on Amazon Singapore in Mental & Spiritual Healing, Complementary Medicine, and Hot New Releases. She has been featured in The Straits Times and on live radio in Singapore, where she shared the story and insights behind her bestselling book.

Join us as Marilyn shares:

• Her beautiful close relationship with her mum
• The devastating loss of her mother in 2022 after a diagnosis of aggressive cancer
• The first signs of the presence of the spirit realm before her mother passed
• The unexpected return of her mum from the spirit realm during Marilyn’s deepest grief, initially through dreams visitations, and then in more direct and incredible ways
• How this contact was an initiation of an expansive journey into spirituality
• How the bonds of love endure after death, and the frequency of motherly love
• The non-linear, deeply personal stages of grief
• Her guidance on supporting others through loss and grief
• The importance of finding meaning in heartache as a pathway to resurrection
• How loss can lead to personal growth
• How writing her book gave her comfort and healing
• How loss has changed how she lives her life today - intentionally with deep gratitude
• Her guidance for listeners who are struggling with grief

To purchase Marilyn's book, visit: https://sg.shp.ee/GHEowDw

You may also find it at local bookstores such as Kinokuniya or Popular Bookstore.

For international orders via Amazon: https://a.co/d/5ACiktw

And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in!

Big love for The Modern Crone team -

Theme music and season intro tracks:

Sam Joole:

www.samjoole.com

Cover design and photography

Luana Suciu

https://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/

Luanasuciu@gmail.com

Voice editing:

Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studios

maskmusicstudios@outlook.com

Studio and Reel production:

Kymberly Sng

kymberlysngcm@gmail.com

David Ratner grew up on the edge of Chicago, USA. He has worked as an actor, taxi driver, copy editor, bookseller, waiter, house painter, a long-time high school teacher, and a writer. He has lived in Boston, Paris, San Francisco, Dublin, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. He's an avid traveller, a hiker, a baseball coach, a Scoutmaster, a pie maker, a scuba diver, and more. He's been a resident of Singapore, with his wife, Allison, two sons, and their dog, Diggity, since 2014. David was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and told he had between 2 and 6 years to live. That was nearly 5 years ago, but he has no current plans to die, certainly not of cancer.

Join us as David shares:

• His incredible dance with death on several occasions, and the super-charged impact on his view of life and consciousness
• His unexpected diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer and the opening of an extraordinary exploration of spirituality and healing
• The importance of self-agency and perspective
• How sharing his experience on his blog aided his healing
• The role of love
• The main changes he made in his mindset and lifestyle for healing
• The potent combination of traditional and alternative approaches
• His refreshing attitude towards the inevitability of death

And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in!

Resource references:

Why Woo-Woo Works: The Surprising Science Behind Meditation, Reiki, Crystals, and Other Alternative Practices by PhD Hamilton, Dr David R. How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body by PhD Hamilton, Dr David R.

Radical Remission by Kelly A. Turner PhD

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn

The Biology Of Belief: Unleashing The Power Of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles by BRUCE H LIPTOn

Spirited: A Guide to Your Innate Spiritual Design to Transform Your Life by Danielle Van de Velde

Isabel Galliano - Cancer Coach

So grateful for The Modern Crone team -

Theme music and season intro tracks:

Sam Joole: www.samjoole.com

Cover design and photography

Luana Suciu: Luanasuciu@gmail.com

Studio and Reel production:

Kymberly Sng: kymberlysngcm@gmail.com