You Don’t FIND Joy… But she’ll tell you how to mine it.
You Don’t FIND Joy… But she’ll tell you how to mine it.  
Podcast: Cake For Dinner
Published On: Mon Apr 06 2026
Description: 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